Eastern European poultry market
offers growth potential

Investment and proximity to strong neighbouring
markets mean that Polish and Romanian poultry
production can look forward to a bright future.

Poland and Romania occupy a fantastic place on the poultry map. Both are large countries with excellent resources and with fantastic potential for growth. There are a number of reasons why these areas are so full of potential for poultry producers.

Location

Romania joined the European Union in 2007, and has the seventh largest population in the Eurozone at 21. 5 million. However, poultry consumption is just 18kg per head (compared to a UK average of 27kg per head) so there is a real opportunity for the poultry industry to increasingly provide low-cost, high-protein meat to the Romanian market and beyond.

Poland is a great place to build an export market into Western Europe and it also has great links into the huge Eastern markets, too, being within 24 hours’ travel of a large number of countries.

Over the last 10 years, the number of parent stock placed in Poland has risen from 5. 5 million to 7. 1 million and we can see this peaking at 7. 5

million in the next few years.

This has, in turn, created a burgeoning export market with around 2 million birds currently being exported as meat, eggs and chicks to the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Romania and France. A lot of business is also conducted with the Ukraine.

Infrastructure and
integration

Historically, the poultry industry in Romania was under government control. Now, private enterprises are responsible for poultry production in the country and the future is looking bright despite the current economic challenges.

Today, Romanian producers are at the cutting edge of industry innovation. The country has embraced the integrated market model. Many producers have control of the entire process from breeding to transport and even retail outlets selling their meat. As in other European countries, the integrated model is paying dividends for Romanian producers.

State-of-the-art GP facilities, including rearing and laying farms, located near Poznan, Western Poland, built following an agreement between BroMargo and Aviagen.

Romania is one of Aviagen’s key markets in the Central and Eastern European Region: In 2010, Aviagen shipped over 1 million Ross 308 parent stock birds to Romania for the first time and there is certainly scope for more success. In that year alone, domestic production expanded by at least 30% and not only is there a strong internal market but Romania borders five other countries so there is also the potential for export business. Excellent transport links also mean that Romanian producers can look further afield.

Infrastructure is also playing a huge part in Poland’s success. Superb poultry farming resources, from slaughterhouses, feed mills and processing plants to hatcheries, veterinary laboratories and many well-equipped poultry farms mean Poland easily delivered 740 million broilers in 2010.