Browse Data and Analysis

The food processing industry represents the fourth-largest industry in Germany. According to the Federation of German Food and Drink Industries (BEV) estimates, Germany produced $238.9 (€ 218.5) billion of processed food and drinks in 2022.

Following weeks of farmer protests across the European Union, the European Commission published a legislative proposal to amend certain provisions of the Common Agricultural Policy.

The UK food ingredients sector is a thriving and competitive market, driven by changing consumer demands, technological advancements, and an emphasis on quality and safety.

In 2023, Portugal imported $293 million worth of agricultural, fish, and forestry products from the United States. Outside the European Union Member States, the United States was the third main origin of Portuguese agricultural and related imports.

In 2023, Spain imported $2.2 billion worth of agricultural, seafood and forest products from the United States, up 3 percent compared to the previous year. Even though inflation rates declined in 2023 as compared to the record highs registered in 2022, they remained higher compared to pre-pandemic levels.

In 2023, Ukraine's cattle inventory and beef production remained on a three-decade-long downward trend. The decrease in consumer numbers and comparatively high beef prices resulted in a domestic consumption drop and increased exports of both live cattle for slaughter and beef.

Assuming the return of more favorable growing conditions and yields that are in line with historical averages, Turkey is expected to produce more sunflowerseed, cottonseed, and soybeans in MY 2024/25 compared to the previous year, which was marked by dry weather conditions in parts of the country.

While EU beef production is forecast to further decline in 2024 due to a structural unprofitability of the sector and mounting environmental regulations, the EU pork supply is projected to rebound in 2024.

Driven by strong internal demand, EU chicken meat production is expected to grow in 2023 and 2024. In 2024, Poland will be again the largest EU chicken producer, accounting for more than 20 percent of all EU chicken production.

MY 2023/24 sunflowerseed production is forecast at 1.6 million metric tons (MMT), which is down nearly 20 percent year-over-year because of drought-related losses in Thrace, Turkey’s leading sunflower producing region.

Since the beginning of 2023, the Turkish Lira (TL) has weakened by around 20 percent against the U.S. dollar. Despite the economic turmoil, demand for chicken meat is relatively stable, even with expected increased poultry market prices in correlation with increasing inflation.

In August 2023, after more than a decade of political discussions on the restructuring of livestock farming, a new German law on mandatory animal husbandry labeling went into effect.