More German Pork, Poultry Meat; Less Beef

GERMANY - In the third quarter of 2009, 1.9 million tonnes of meat were commercially produced in Germany, which is 1.8 per cent more than in the same period of 2008. The data have been translated for TheCattleSite by Jackie Linden.
calendar icon 16 November 2009
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The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports that the production of poultry meat rose by five per cent or 15,700 tonnes to a total of 330,200 tonnes in the months of July to September 2009 compared with the same period of 2008. The production of poultry meat reached a new all-time high and accounted for 17.3 per cent of total commercial meat production.

Broiler production had increased in the previous months and this trend continued in the third quarter (Q3) of 2009. Broiler production reached 193,100 tonnes, an increase of 6.8 per cent or 12,400 tonnes compared with the same quarter last year. For the period July to September, 111,400 tones of turkey meat was produced, which was 2.4 per cent or 2,700 tonnes more than in the same quarter in the previous year. At a lower level, output of duck meat grew by 10.4 per cent to 15,900 tonnes.

Commercial red meat production in Germany rose by a modest 1.1 per cent to almost 1.6 million tonnes. This comprised 1.3 million tonnes of pig meat, 290,000 tonnes of beef, 4,600 tonnes of sheep meat and 650 tonnes of goat- and horse-meat.

The volume of pig meat produced during Q3 2009 was two per cent or 24,800 tonnes more than the same period in the previous year. Contributing to the increase was a rise of 3.1 per cent or 375,000 animals of German origin while for the first time since Q2 2006, the number of animals from other countries fell by 12.5 per cent – 167,000 fewer animals. The total number of pigs slaughtered in commercial premises during the period was 13.9 million – 1.5 per cent or 209,000 animals more than in Q3 2008.

In contrast to poultry meat and pig meat, the production of beef during Q3 2009 was 2.3 per cent or 6,800 tonnes lower than the same period last year. The total number of cattle slaughtered was just 0.3 per cent lower. One category that showed an increase in numbers was that of cows (+4.5 per cent), which was attributed to very low milk prices. Detailed figures on the national dairy herd are due to be published by Destasis on 17 December this year in a census of the cattle population.

More detailed information and long-term developments in meat production can be obtained free of charge on table 41331-0004 of the Genesis-Online database.

Commercial meat production in Germany in Q3 2009
(preliminary results; compared to Q3 2008)
Animals Units Q3 2008 Q3 2009 Change versus
previous year
(%)
Total cattle '000 animals 924.5 922.1 – 0.3
  '000 tonnes 295.9 289.1 – 2.3
- Bullocks & bulls '000 animals 415.4 389.7 – 6.2
  '000 tonnes 152.1 144.8 – 4.8
- Cows '000 animals 334.3 349.4 + 4.5
  '000 tonnes 98.5 103.1 + 4.7
- Heifers '000 animals 102.7 106.3 + 3.5
  '000 tonnes 29.3 30.5 + 4.2
- Calves '000 animals 72.1 69.7 – 3.3
  '000 tonnes 9.1 9.5 + 3.6
- Young cattle '000 animals - 6.9 -
  '000 tonnes - 1.2 -
Pigs '000 animals 13,646.4 13,855.4 + 1.5
  '000 tonnes 1,262.5 1,287.2 + 2.0
Sheep '000 animals 252.7 225.0 – 11.0
  '000 tonnes 5.4 4.6 – 13.5
Goats '000 animals 3.8 4.5 +20.3
Horses '000 animals 2.1 2.2 + 0.9
Goat- and horse-meat '000 tonnes 6.3 6.5 + 2.8
Total red meat '000 tonnes 1,564.4 1,581.6 + 1.1
Poultry 1) '000 tonnes 314.5 330.2 +5.0
- Broilers '000 tonnes 180.8 193.1 + 6.8
- Ducks '000 tonnes 14.4 15.9 + 10.4
- Turkeys & guinea fowl '000 tonnes 108.8 111.4 + 2.4
TOTAL MEAT PRODUCTION '000 tonnes 1,878.9 1,911.8 + 1.8
1) Output from poultry slaughterhouses with a capacity exceeding 2,000 birds per month.

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