The UK pork sector has experienced a difficult year, with exports in the first half of 2024 reaching their lowest levels in nearly a decade. Recent analysis reveals that UK pork exports, totalling 148,200 tonnes, have declined by 2.4% compared to 2023, marking the lowest export figures since 2015.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) attributes this drop in exports to several key factors. Tight domestic pork supplies have driven up prices, making UK pork less competitive in global markets compared to other countries like Brazil and the United States. As consumers across the world grapple with higher living costs, affordability has become a critical concern, particularly in regions such as China, where price sensitivity remains high.
Despite the overall downward trend, June 2024 offered a glimmer of hope for the industry. UK pigmeat exports for the month exceeded 25,100 tonnes, a 4% increase compared to the same period last year. A significant portion of this export volume was offal, accounting for 12,300 tonnes, while fresh and frozen pork made up 10,100 tonnes.
Freya Shuttleworth, Senior Livestock Analyst at AHDB, explained that although June marked the second consecutive month of year-on-year growth, larger declines earlier in the year—particularly in January, March, and May—have negatively impacted the overall figures. The year-to-date decrease is largely due to reductions in the fresh/frozen and bacon categories, which lost 2,500 and 1,900 tonnes respectively.
Offal has proven to be the most resilient product category, maintaining steady volumes and holding the largest market share at 47%. Processed pigmeat and sausages, meanwhile, have made modest gains, helping to stabilise the market in the face of falling fresh pork and bacon exports.
On the import side, UK pigmeat imports have also seen some growth, rising by over 4% year-on-year to 71,000 tonnes in June. These increases were spread across all product categories. Looking at the year-to-date figures, imports for the first half of 2024 reached 387,500 tonnes, a 1.4% rise compared to 2023.
However, the growth in imports has not been evenly distributed. Processed pigmeat and bacon have both seen declines, with volumes dropping by 3,100 tonnes and 1,800 tonnes, respectively, over the first six months of the year. In contrast, fresh and frozen pork products, which hold the largest market share at 165,100 tonnes, remain steady. The sausage category saw the most significant year-on-year gain, increasing by 5,300 tonnes to 77,600 tonnes.
As the UK pig sector continues to face challenges in both export and import markets, industry players are closely monitoring global trends and working to navigate the economic pressures affecting consumer demand.
