Poland’s meat crisis

Polish meat has already become more expensive compared to Western Europe.

However, the situation may be reversed if the Polish parliament agrees to GMO feed and if Poland follows the same path as Denmark.

During 2007, the amount of imports exceeded exports. This was mainly due to high pork prices in Poland. According to Dariusz Nowakowski, CEO of Grupa Animex, Poland’s biggest meat processor, the situation may get even worse this year.

Much higher prices compared to EU
Nowakowski says, “85% of production costs are generated by meat prices. In Poland, the price of pork has for a long time already been higher than the EU average and much higher than in Denmark, the USA or Brazil.”

Most likely, higher production costs will have to be dealt with as well, when a ban of GMO elements in feed is implemented in August this year.

“This is a big threat to our company and to the whole sector in Poland. If this provision comes into force, meat prices will soon jump and imports will further grow,” said Nowakowski.

The Minister of Agriculture, Marek Sawicki, has promised to levy this ban.

Denmark a good example
Nowakowski added that, “Polish meat would become more competitive and that prices would fall substantially if the sector followed the suit of Denmark, which has become a giant in pork production and exports in the last thirty years.”