What, how much and how do we eat? The state of the meat market in Poland in 2023 | Strategy& Poland (2024)

The report provides a comprehensive and complete summary of the current state of the meat industry in Poland and presents likely scenarios for the development of this market in 2024-2027.

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Poland as a European leader in meat production

What, how much and how do we eat? The state of the meat market in Poland in 2023 | Strategy& Poland (1)

Krzysztof Badowski,
Managing Partner,
Strategy& in Poland

What, how much and how do we eat? The state of the meat market in Poland in 2023 | Strategy& Poland (2)

Marek Steinhoff-Traczewski,
Senior Manager,
Strategy& in Poland

The report aims to characterise the meat market in Poland, explain the key trends shaping the market, as well as identify the main threats and possible scenarios for the future. The study includes the opinions of representatives of industry organisations and leading companies, who shared their assessment of the changes taking place in the market.
Despite the many positive signs, the coming years will be challenging for the industry as a whole, especially with domestic consumption likely to peak soon and start to decline. There is also a growing popularity of meat substitutes competing for the attention of the same group of consumers. In addition, increasing imports of agricultural products from Ukraine, especially in the poultry sector with competitive prices, will also be a challenge.

  • 34%

    this is the value of Polish meat product exports in 2022

  • 20%

    of all agri-food exports are accounted for by the meat industry

  • 1.3%

    this is how much, according to forecasts for 2023-2027, the cumulative annual growth rate for poultry production in Poland is to be

  • 1.5%

    of expenditures on meat are substitutes for meat products

Selected conclusions from the report

Poland is one of the European leaders in terms of meat production, ranking first in poultry production, fourth in pork production and sixth in beef. Being the European leader in poultry production is all the more encouraging as global white meat consumption is steadily increasing and is the least threatened by changing consumer habits.

Consumption in Poland and structure of the sales market

Annual per capita consumption of pork, poultry and beef [kg] in selected countries, OECD and EU, 2022

Surveys show that 89% of Poles consume meat more than once a week, and that the structure of meat consumption in Poland stands out against OECD and European Union countries. Poles are almost twice as likely to consume pork as poultry, while beef is consumed only occasionally. The main determinants of the choice of meat type are price and ease of meal preparation.

Source: CSO Supplies to the domestic market and consumption of certain consumer goods per capita in 2022, OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2023-2032, Kantar Polska and BLIX Group study "Meat market and vegetable alternatives according to the Polish smart shopper", desk research, Strategy& analysis.

  • Poultry
  • Pork
  • Beef

What, how much and how do we eat? The state of the meat market in Poland in 2023 | Strategy& Poland (6)

Poultry meat is gaining popularity due to consumer trends - the growing belief in the health benefits of poultry, as well as its ease of preparation, lower price and calorific value compared to other meats.

What, how much and how do we eat? The state of the meat market in Poland in 2023 | Strategy& Poland (7)

Pork accounts for the largest share of meat consumption in Poland and is also the most commonly used for meat products. Thanks to its universality, pork is used in a variety of dishes, and the culinary tradition of Poles further favours its consumption.

What, how much and how do we eat? The state of the meat market in Poland in 2023 | Strategy& Poland (8)

Beef is perceived as a premium product, the price of which differs significantly from pork and poultry, which are at similar levels.

Production and export of meat

Meat production in Poland [thousand tonnes]
Polish meat exports [thousand tonnes]

Source: CSO reports "Physical dimensions of livestock production", CSO report "Domestic market supply and per capita consumption of certain consumer goods in 2022", OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2023-2032, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Information Bulletins, Strategy& analysis.

  • Poultry
  • Pork
  • Beef

What, how much and how do we eat? The state of the meat market in Poland in 2023 | Strategy& Poland (12)

In recent years, there has been a growing share of poultry eating and a decline in beef and pork consumption - mainly due to the perception that poultry is a healthier alternative to other meats. In addition, leading manufacturers are increasingly introducing poultry-based ready meals.

What, how much and how do we eat? The state of the meat market in Poland in 2023 | Strategy& Poland (13)

In Poland and many European markets, there is a downward trend in the profitability of pork rearing due to a greater increase in feed prices than in pig prices.

What, how much and how do we eat? The state of the meat market in Poland in 2023 | Strategy& Poland (14)

The recent decision to open beef exports to the Asian market should have a positive impact on the development of the sector in Europe

Dynamics of change in intermediate markets for meat production

Breeding and meat production in Poland are becoming increasingly dependent on price developments on world markets, particularly in the context of feed and energy costs, which account for 80% of the overall cost structure.

Socio-economic situations such as increased grain imports by China and the Russian invasion against Ukraine have led to poultry, pork and beef production costs more than doubling in 2022 compared to 2020.

Source: Strategy& analysis

The market for meat substitutes in Poland

On average, 50% of consumers, both in Poland and across Europe, plan to reduce their meat consumption. The national leaders in promoting and offering meat substitutes are discounters, which account for almost three quarters of the category's sales value.

In 2022, more than 60% of Poles had access to meat substitutes; of which almost half had tried these products, mainly out of curiosity. More than 40% consume meat substitutes regularly.

Source: Strategy& analysis

Find out the development forecasts for the meat industry in Poland

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Contact us

Krzysztof Badowski

Partner, Warsaw, Strategy& Poland

+48 608 333 277

Email

Marek Steinhoff-Traczewski

Senior Manager, Strategy& Poland

+48 519 508 248

Email

What, how much and how do we eat? The state of the meat market in Poland in 2023 | Strategy& Poland (2024)

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