The only country among the European Union’s top five poultry producers expected to record growth in 2021 is Italy. According to forecasts shared at the latest annual meeting of Italy’s poultry industry association UnaItalia, the country will see output rise to 1.39 million metric tons, an increase of 0.1%.
Antonio Forlini, UnaItalia’s president, attributes this growth to the sector being fully integrated and self-sufficient, and consequently able to quickly react to changes in demand.
Poultry meat
Italy closed 2020 with output of a little under 1.38 million metric tons, an increase of 3.8% on 2019. The association notes that the expansion was in contrast to much of the rest of Europe where, on average, output contracted by 0.1%.
Chicken meat production, which accounts for 74% of total output, rose by 1.68%, however, it was in the turkey sector where growth was strongest, with output rising by 4%. By value, Italy’s poultry meat sales last year stood at EUR4.56 billion (US$5.4 billion).
The start to the year has been positive for the industry and Italy’s demand for poultry meat has continued to grow.
Data published by agrifood institute Istituto di Servizi per il Mercato Agricolo Alimentare (ISMEA) shows that, over the first three months of 2021 purchases of poultry by value increased by 1%. In part, this increase has been attributed to consumers choosing more processed, higher value, products and also to still strong home consumption, while out of home consumption remains restricted.
Poultry is the most consumed meat in the country by volume, accounting for over a third of all meat consumed.
Eggs
Where eggs for consumption are concerned, sales reach EUR1.15 billion (USD1.36 billion) in 2020.
Italian consumers consumed 12.9 billion eggs in 2020, close to 216 per head, up 3.23 on 2019.
Lockdowns, as in other countries, resulted in a strong increase in demand for eggs and this dynamism has continued. Research by ISMEA and market research company Nielsen has revealed that, during the first quarter of this year, consumer demand for eggs rose by 14.5%.
While 2021 may be positive for Italian producers in comparison with their European counterparts, the industry is not without its concerns.
UnaItalia notes that its producers have made significant investments in producing more sustainability, adopting more stringent environmental and animal welfare practices. While this may, the association says, result in better quality products, it also makes them more expensive.
Alongside this increased expenditure the industry is now facing rising input costs. The association notes that, between January and May 2021, raw material prices rose by 42%. Retailers must recognize these higher costs, it warns, if the sector is not to be harmed.
Additionally, there are also concerns that higher priced local production may lead to growth in demand for lower cost imports.
