Belgian beef posted a plus in exports
From January to June 2017, Belgian meat suppliers exported 94.947 tons of beef worldwide. Compared to the same period in the previous year, this is a double-digit increase in exports of 14,1 percent. The steady upward trend in Belgian beef exports, which has persisted for years, is thus entering a new phase. This is evident from the figures that Belgian Meat Office has calculated on the basis of Eurostat data ...
With a volume of 34.657 tons, the Netherlands continues to secure first place on the customer list. In addition, Belgian beef is very popular with the French and German neighbors at 20.048 tons and 15.704 tons respectively. The most important third country destinations are the Ivory Coast with 3.761 tons and Ghana with 3.120 tons. In addition, in the first half of 2017, 385.972 tons of pork crossed the Belgian borders. Compared to the same period of the previous year, this is a minus of 8,1 percent. The declining export figures are accompanied by declining production figures: in the first half of 2017, 510.560 tons of pork were produced commercially; this corresponds to a minus of 5,6 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
The volume of intra-community trade has shrunk by 7,4 percent to 340.194 tons. Carcass halves are the most important category with 207.582 tons, followed by cuts with 89.463 tons, meat by-products with 28.512 tons and pork fat with 14.638 tons. With 128.483 tons, Germany is still the most important trading partner for Belgian pork. Poland followed with 81.301 tons and the Netherlands with 45.867 tons. Business with third countries also lost momentum: Around 45.778 tons of pork were placed there in the first half of 2017, a drop of 13,2 percent compared to the same period last year. Outside Europe, slaughterhouse by-products (26.274 tons) and cuts (15.491 tons) from the Kingdom are in particularly high demand.
