Poland: Livestock Trends

The latest figures from the Central Statistical Bureau show that the production of slaughter animals (kg in live weight per hectare of farmland) was significantly higher in 2021 than in 2010 (466.3 kg vs. 350.3 kg), but slightly lower than in 2020, when it amounted to 484.3 q/ha. Pig breeding has practically not changed over the years and amounted to 160.2 kg/ha.

However, the upward trend in pork production per capita is obvious. In 2021, it was 49.2 kg per capita, about 1 kg more than in 2012 and 2020. Beef production per capita was slightly lower than in 2020 (14.6 vs. 14.8 kg) but much higher than in 2010 (10.1 kg). A decrease in poultry MEAT production per capita was observed in 2021 (68.7 kg in 2021 against 73.4 kg in 2020). On the contrary, it is almost twice as much as in 2010, when per capita production was 35.8 kg.

The general dynamics of the livestock population (cattle, pigs, sheep) indicates a continuation of the growth trend observed after 2015. In 2010 there were 7158 thousand heads, then in 2015: 6740 thousand heads, in 2020 : 6961 thousand heads. thousand heads, and in 2021: 7694 thousand heads (in heads of cattle). An increase in the number of cattle and sheep was noted, and the number of pigs has a steady downward trend (15244.4 in 2010 against 10242.4 in December 2021).

The largest number of pigs is kept in Poland in the Greater Poland Voivodeship (4209.7 thousand heads in 2021), followed by the Mazowieckie Voivodeship (1270.6 thousand heads).