Record year for the Polish poultry industry

Poland’s poultry industry experienced an outstanding year in 2024 as monthly production reached a record level, the National Chamber of Poultry and Feed Producers (KIPDiP) revealed.

The organisation said that monthly poultry production exceeded the threshold of 150 million heads during the year at least 3 times. “A few years ago, we wondered whether a monthly production record of over 100 million chickens could be maintained,” recalled Katarzyna Gawrońska, director of the National Chamber of Poultry and Feed Producers. “However, it quickly turned out that such a number of broilers produced on a monthly scale was not an exception but a rule for the industry. We can now celebrate achieving another milestone,” she added. The industry’s growth this year has even triggered an occasional shortage of hatching eggs.

Poland is the largest producer of poultry meat in Europe, accounting for one-fifth of the EU’s total output. Spain and Germany, ranked second and third in the list of largest manufacturers, are far behind, with 13% and 14% in the EU’s poultry supply, respectively.

Despite the general positivity, Poland’s poultry farmers express concerns over growing dependence on foreign trade, Gawrońska said. Poland’s market can consume less than half of the broiler meat the country manufactures, meaning significant shifts in demand in other EU countries – the key sales market for Poland’s broiler meat – could be quite painful for the industry.

Against this background, Gawrońska rang the alarm bell over the looming agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries. She noted a potential devastating impact of increased poultry meat imports from Brazil to the EU, warning that it c