Valerie Herczeg
French poultry
market under strain
Faced with growing
Slaughter per species January-August 2009
competition, the
French poultry
industry needs to rely
000 head change 08/09 metric tons
Chicken 478,523 -0.7 623,905
Turkey 37,974 - 11.0 267,498
Duck 47,263 - 6. 7 147,716
Total poultry 1 605,405 - 1. 9 1,093,364
1. Figures do not add up as total includes guinea-fowls, hens and geese.
Source: French Ministry of Agriculture's Statistics O;ce, Agreste.
change 08/09
- 1. 6
- 8. 6
- 6. 9
- 4. 1
on its strengths and
focus on quality.
Slaughter numbers across species in France was lower during the first eight months of 2009.
French poultry meat production fell
by 4.1% to 1. 1 million metric tons
in the first eight months of 2009,
compared with the same period last
year. Following a short-lived recovery
in 2007 and stabilisation in 2008, the
number of birds slaughtered fell by
1.9% to 605.4 million head.
All species were a;ected,
especially duck and turkey. However,
with only a slight 1.6% decline in
volume, broilers fared better, reports
the French Ministry of Agriculture.
Total chicken and guinea-fowl
placements were down by 1% and
2%, respectively. Over the first eight
months, turkey fell by 4%, while
duck placements experienced the
steepest decline, down by 9% from
the beginning of the year.
Foreign trade
The downward trend observed
over the last decade, representing a
loss in production of 480,000 metric
tons (–20%) since 1998, is due to
falling competitiveness, resulting
in declining exports, both within
and outside the EU, as well as rising
imports. The latter were up by 8%
to 177,474 metric tons in the first half
of 2009. Imports from EU countries,
which made up 95% of the total, rose
by 7%.
Volumes of frozen chicken and
chicken cuts increased by 38% and
8%, respectively, making up 85% of
France’s poultry meat imports.
Purchases of processed goods
from abroad were also on the
increase (+7%), with non-EU imports
rocketing by 42%. Imports from the
EU, on the other hand, fell by 10%.
Processed chicken accounted for
60% of imported processed goods,
in line with 2008, while processed
turkey rose by 20%. In value terms,
total poultry meat imports recorded
a 3% rise to Euro 379.8 million ($572.3
million) in the first six months.
Meanwhile, plummeting Russian
purchases caused poultry meat
exports to drop by 2% to 252,319
metric tons over the period, despite
a 3% increase in sales towards the
EU. Exports to Belgium were up by
8%, while those to Germany, the UK
and Spain fell by 11%, 10% and 8%,
respectively. Non-EU exports were
down by 8%, with a significant drop
✷ Largest poultry
producer in the EU.
France
✷ EU’s second-largest
consumer behind the UK.
✷ The world’s fourth-largest
exporter behind the
US, China and Brazil.
✷ Poultry accounts for some
30% of the country’s meat
production by volume.
✷ Production turnover
was estimated at Euro
3. 38 billion in 2008.
✷ Per capita annual poultry
meat consumption:
24. 6 kg.
Source : Agreste ; ITAVI;
National Institute for
Agronomic Research, INRA.
At a
glance
in sales to Russia (- 15,300 metric tons),
compared with the first half of 2008.
Exports towards the Middle East
progressed, with 10,300 extra metric
