In Poland, the poultry sector has grown by a quarter over the past ten years. The Polish agricultural census 2020 shows that last year the country had more than 225 million chickens, mainly for export. However, the pig population has shrunk significantly during the same period.
In Poland, poultry is slaughtered without stunning for export to various Muslim countries. The country is currently the leader in poultry production within the European Union and is one of the world's largest exporters of poultry meat.
Last year, the Polish government presented a new animal welfare law that provided for the abolition of slaughter without stunning, in accordance with new EU guidelines. However, disagreements arose within the ruling PiS party on this issue, leading the Polish Senate to not complete the consideration of the bill.
That animal welfare law and plans for the modernization of livestock farming and agriculture still hang over the market, and once again a Minister of Agriculture risks losing their position.
The growth of the Polish agricultural sector over the past ten years also took place in the livestock population (by 9.8%). The Polish agricultural census showed a decline in the number of dairy cows by 11.6%, while at the same time milk production increased. The decrease in dairy cows is mainly due to the closure of small dairy farms.
The Polish meat pig population decreased by as much as 26.8% in the decade 2010-2020. Sows and piglets also decreased by more than twenty percent. The sharp decline is primarily the result of low returns in pig breeding and outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF).
Due to the unstable situation on the pig market and low profits in pig production, more and more Polish breeders are purchasing their piglets abroad. As a result, the import of young pigs weighing about 30 kg has gradually increased and amounted to approximately 6.6 million in 2020.