Polish fresh and frozen pork imports were 81% higher in the first nine months of 2008 than a year earlier, even though the average import price was 18% more, according to the European Market Survey.
Denmark was a main beneficiary of the rise in import demand, as Poland was Denmark’s fourth largest export market for pork. There were even sharper increases for other major countries supplying Poland, especially Germany, Belgium and Spain. Imports from the United Kingdom doubled.
The main trade was in chilled products that represented 87% of the total. Cheaper cuts dominated with fore-ends and shoulders accounting for 28% of total shipments. Chilled carcasses and half carcasses represented a further 15%. Bone-in fresh hams accounted for a similar proportion.
Polish pork exports also increased in January-September 2008, but only by 20% and mainly due to shipments to Ukraine rising to almost 65,000 metric tons compared with only 22 metric tons in the same period of 2007. Trade resumed to Russia following the lifting of the Russian import ban although shipments in January-September only amounted to 5,600 metric tons.
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