World meat industry news

 Prices for beef on the world market have reached historical highs both at the level of producers and in the retail.

Beef prices have been rising for several months now. In addition, the cost of pork, after a serious market crisis, is growing rapidly. If we follow the statement of economists that prices always measure the shortage, then it becomes clear that there has been a shortage of beef on the world market for several months.

As for pork, there is no shortage of it. However, prices are now growing at a tremendous rate. After a long period of losses, pig farmers will soon be able to rely on income to cover costs again, analysts say.

They also emphasize that the rise in prices for pork and beef and the shortage of the latter are unlikely to have anything to do with the situation in Ukraine. The current state of affairs is connected with the economic crises and the agricultural policy of recent years, experts say. For livestock farmers, the coronavirus crisis and the collapse of the catering sector have led to a drop in meat prices and a massive abandonment of livestock. The consequences of this are now being felt.

In pig production, the fall in sales caused by the pandemic was exacerbated by the outbreak and the consequences of ASF. Thus, German companies lost export markets, especially to China, and animals that were not exported also put pressure on the domestic market and prices. Many pig farmers were unable to cope economically and left the industry.

In addition, there has been an unprecedented explosion in the cost of feed, energy and fuel in both market segments. Analysts note that the European meat market is extremely intertwined and operates through an intensive exchange of goods between countries.