Trends in exports of products offered by the Polish meat industry are determined by two factors. Firstly, demand for products, and secondly, temporary restrictions related to the occurrence of epidemics of livestock diseases. From the beginning of the year to the end of May, the Polish meat industry exported goods with a total value of over EUR 5 billion, which represented an increase of 19% compared to the previous year. Undoubtedly, the biggest export hits are Polish poultry and beef. In 2025, over 900,000 tons of meat, processed products, and live poultry were exported, while the volume of beef exports amounted to 233,000 tons. During the same period, nearly 300,000 tons of pork and pork products were exported.
Traditionally, the European Union countries remain the most important customers for the Polish meat industry. Among third countries, the United Kingdom stands out. According to available OECD reports, the fastest growing markets for meat products in the coming years will be Asian markets. We are primarily interested in the markets of Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam, where we rank sixth among the largest suppliers of poultry and pork.
With the growing importance of exports in the Polish meat industry, we are becoming increasingly integrated with global markets. As a result, we are also becoming vulnerable to its challenges and turmoil. Among the most important challenges facing the Polish meat industry is maintaining its position as the European leader in poultry and beef exports. At the same time, we must work intensively to redefine our main competitive advantages. Until recently, this was price, but now, with the increase in production costs, the key differentiator will be the high quality and safety of Polish meat. Closely related to high quality are the increasing environmental and animal welfare requirements for European producers. On the one hand, this promotes the development of high-quality products, but on the other hand, it increases production costs due to the need for additional investments in farms. Epidemics of livestock diseases remain a major challenge. We have seen the devastation caused by foot-and-mouth disease in Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia, where losses were estimated in the billions of euros. Fortunately, Poland has been and remains a foot-and-mouth disease-free country. However, we still have to deal with ASF and avian influenza. These phenomena have a measurable impact on the dynamics of export growth, as temporary export restrictions are introduced in the event of outbreaks. The process of lifting restrictions is lengthy and, as our experience shows, difficult. Another challenge is geopolitical tensions. This mainly concerns international trade relations, which since the beginning of this year have been marked by customs conflicts between the world’s largest players: the US, the European Union and China. This introduces an element of uncertainty, which is not conducive to long-term trade relations.
Since its inception, the Union of Meat Industry Producers and Employers has been involved in activities aimed at promoting the Polish meat industry on foreign markets. We support Polish entrepreneurs by enabling them to participate in international fairs and events in EU countries and on Asian markets, such as Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. We are currently planning activities on the Philippine market. An important element of these activities are trade missions, during which Polish producers have the opportunity to establish direct contacts with foreign partners. Very often, our activities are coordinated with visits and missions involving representatives of the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Agricultural Support Center, and veterinary services. Such activities have a very practical dimension and most often concern accelerating the process of removing administrative restrictions related to ASF or avian influenza.
Wiesław Różański
President
Union of Meat Industry Producers and Employers (UPEMI)
Traditionally, the European Union countries remain the most important customers for the Polish meat industry. Among third countries, the United Kingdom stands out. According to available OECD reports, the fastest growing markets for meat products in the coming years will be Asian markets. We are primarily interested in the markets of Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam, where we rank sixth among the largest suppliers of poultry and pork.
With the growing importance of exports in the Polish meat industry, we are becoming increasingly integrated with global markets. As a result, we are also becoming vulnerable to its challenges and turmoil. Among the most important challenges facing the Polish meat industry is maintaining its position as the European leader in poultry and beef exports. At the same time, we must work intensively to redefine our main competitive advantages. Until recently, this was price, but now, with the increase in production costs, the key differentiator will be the high quality and safety of Polish meat. Closely related to high quality are the increasing environmental and animal welfare requirements for European producers. On the one hand, this promotes the development of high-quality products, but on the other hand, it increases production costs due to the need for additional investments in farms. Epidemics of livestock diseases remain a major challenge. We have seen the devastation caused by foot-and-mouth disease in Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia, where losses were estimated in the billions of euros. Fortunately, Poland has been and remains a foot-and-mouth disease-free country. However, we still have to deal with ASF and avian influenza. These phenomena have a measurable impact on the dynamics of export growth, as temporary export restrictions are introduced in the event of outbreaks. The process of lifting restrictions is lengthy and, as our experience shows, difficult. Another challenge is geopolitical tensions. This mainly concerns international trade relations, which since the beginning of this year have been marked by customs conflicts between the world’s largest players: the US, the European Union and China. This introduces an element of uncertainty, which is not conducive to long-term trade relations.
Since its inception, the Union of Meat Industry Producers and Employers has been involved in activities aimed at promoting the Polish meat industry on foreign markets. We support Polish entrepreneurs by enabling them to participate in international fairs and events in EU countries and on Asian markets, such as Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. We are currently planning activities on the Philippine market. An important element of these activities are trade missions, during which Polish producers have the opportunity to establish direct contacts with foreign partners. Very often, our activities are coordinated with visits and missions involving representatives of the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Agricultural Support Center, and veterinary services. Such activities have a very practical dimension and most often concern accelerating the process of removing administrative restrictions related to ASF or avian influenza.
Wiesław Różański
President
Union of Meat Industry Producers and Employers (UPEMI)
