European Union: Livestock and Products Semi-annual

While EU beef production is forecast to further decline in 2024 due to a structural unprofitability of the sector and mounting environmental regulations, the EU pork supply is projected to rebound in 2024. This forecast is based on the recent Eurostat December census which reports a significant expansion of the EU sow herd in 2023. The pork supply is anticipated to increase in Central Europe through improved self-sufficiency. In Western Europe, the increase will be reached by either displacing pork in the EU domestic market, building commercial stocks, or potentially increasing sales at the global market. In the short term, EU pork prices are not competitive on the world market. Nonetheless, the restructuring and improved profitability of EU swine sector is anticipated to support the sector’s potential to export to third countries.