Total fresh and frozen beef exports from Poland were up 12 percent (42,000 tonnes) in 2017 compared to 2016 and exports of fresh and frozen beef in 2017 grew 8 percent year-on-year to total 85,500 tonnes.
In 2017, exports of fresh and frozen beef to Turkey increased by 6,900 tonnes (+74 percent) and value rose to £50.5 million (+123 percent). During the middle of last year, Polish meat processing companies won Turkish government tenders which relates to the successful growth of exports to the country.
In the Netherlands, exports fell by 2,700 tonnes (-7 percent), the second year in succession of declines, despite export to the Netherlands grew in value by £12.2 million (+14 percent), likely driven by a 90 percent increase in boneless exports.
Poland has also started to capitalise on a deal secured in late 2016 by its Ministry of Agriculture to lift a ban of Polish meat into Saudi Arabia. in 2017, exports to Saudi Arabia totalled 1,300 tonnes and although a small but growing percentage of total exports, this could become a lucrative market for Polish beef in the future.
Imports of fresh and frozen beef dropped slightly in 2017 to total 24,000 tonnes (-11 percent). Imports of live animals have dropped by 9 percent to total 162,000 head. Lithuania, which supplies the majority of Poland’s live cattle deliveries, sent 3,700 fewer head (-10 percent) to Poland during the year. However last year, the Netherlands significantly increased deliveries of live bovine animals, to total 33,000 head (+332 percent). For 2017 the Netherlands had 21% of the market share for live bovine shipments, up from less than 5 percent in 2016; the majority of live imports from the Netherlands are young calves for rearing. Poland’s bovine population increased again in 2017 for the sixth consecutive year to surpass 6 million live animals in December 2017, up 8.5 percent since 2008.
Despite a slow start to 2017, cow beef production ended up 4 percent higher on the year up to 161,000 tonnes. Domestic production overall continues to rise, with a year-on-year increase of 57,000 tonnes (+11 percent) in 2017, and this trend has continued into the early part of 2018 with production up 9.8 percent in the first two months of the year to total 89,000 tonnes. An increased demand for manufacturing beef in Europe towards the end of 2017 helped keep cow production buoyant.
Increasing production and continued investment from both domestic and foreign meat processing companies suggests there is some confidence in the Polish beef market after a relatively slow 2016. However poor harvest conditions in 2017 could lead to inflated feed prices for producers as strain on supplies increase. This, coupled with a steady increase in the value of the Zloty could reduce the competitiveness of Polish beef going forward. At the moment Poland remains a significant competitor in the European market and is keeping the pressure on other EU beef producing countries.