Belgian pork market sees steady growth in 2018

In the latest statistics published by the Belgian Meat Office, the domestic pig herd rose by 100,000 year-on-year while slaughterings rose 250,000 in 2018 when compared to 2017.

Production of pork in the country rose by 30,000 tonnes in volume terms year-on-year while the overall amount of pork exported rose 2.7% to 816,609 tonnes during the period.

Exports of pork to the United Kingdom increased 10% year-on-year to 35,190 tonnes. Of this, 60% of the pork exports to the UK consists of cuts, followed by carcases, edible by-products and pig fat. Beef exports to the UK rose 56% compared to 2017, 4,964 tonnes in volume terms.

The country’s cattle and veal slaughterings dipped slightly year-on-year while its production volumes remained stable compared to 2017, as did exports of this protein. The Netherlands was the most important destination for Belgian beef (34%), followed by France (20%), Germany (17%) and Italy (8%). Ghana and Ivory Coast each received 3% of total beef exports during the year.