Chicken & Turkey Meat Production in European Union 2026: Industry Statistics & Trends

The Chicken & Turkey Meat Production industry in the European Union comprises the farming, slaughtering, and processing of poultry into fresh, frozen, and processed meat products for human consumption. Driven by consumer preferences for affordable, versatile, and lower-carbon proteins compared to red meats, the sector is experiencing a period of significant expansion after previous supply shocks. According to official Eurostat figures, total EU poultry meat production reached an estimated high of 14.1 million tonnes in 2024 (Eurostat), marking a robust 6.0% volume increase from the prior year and positioning poultry as the EU's second-largest meat sector behind pigmeat. This upward trajector

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What does the Chicken & Turkey Meat Production in European Union industry cover?

This industry encompasses the entire domestic supply chain for poultry processing, specifically focusing on the commercial rearing, slaughter, and preparation of chicken and turkey meat. The scope includes the production of fresh, chilled, or frozen carcasses and cuts, while excluding fully prepared or pre-cooked frozen poultry meals.

• •Covers primary processing activities including slaughtering, plucking, and butchering of gallinaceous birds and turkeys.
• •Excludes downstream ready-to-eat manufacturing which falls under separate food preparation codes.
• •Includes the preservation of poultry meat through freezing, chilling, or deep-freezing for intra-EU trade and international export markets.

Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?

The European poultry industry features a blend of large integrated agribusinesses and cooperative networks operating across major agricultural hubs. Production is heavily concentrated geographically, with a small handful of member states dictating the vast majority of total union output.

• •Poland is the undisputed regional leader, accounting for 20.5% of total EU poultry meat output with 2.9 million tonnes produced in 2024 (Eurostat).
• •Spain, France, Germany, and Italy represent the other core producing nations, collectively driving over 64% of total EU volume in 2024 (Eurostat).
• •France registered the sharpest regional rebound in poultry processing among major players, marking a provisional 12.3% production volume increase in 2024 (Eurostat).

What drives demand in the industry?

Demand for chicken and turkey within the EU is highly resilient, largely insulated by the relative affordability of poultry compared to bovine and swine alternatives. Changing consumer habits regarding wellness, quick-preparation meals, and sustainability continue to structurally favor lean poultry over red meat options.

• •Domestic human consumption of chicken meat alone within the EU is projected to rise to 11.235 million metric tons in 2026, up from 11.085 million metric tons in 2025 (USDA FAS).
• •Economic price sensitivity remains a principal catalyst, with poultry capitalizing on tightening household budgets across the Eurozone.
• •The food service sector, comprising hotels, restaurants, and institutional catering (HRI), remains a massive engine for imported breast meat and processed products.

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

The commercial ecosystem is characterized by highly consolidated transnational corporations that manage integrated feed mills, hatcheries, and slaughterhouses to optimize operational margins. Competition is intense, heavily revolving around cold-chain logistics efficiency, biosecurity protocols, and strategic acquisitions.

• •LDC (Lambert Dodard Chancereul) operates as a dominant player in France and broader Europe, managing an extensive portfolio of poultry brands.
• •Plukon Food Group B.V. is a major Netherlands-headquartered operator expanding its European footprint, highlighted by its 100% acquisition of Spain-based Avícola Moraleja S.A. (Avimosa) in mid-2026.
• •Scandi Standard is a leading Nordic poultry producer listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, supplying chilled and frozen chicken products to over 40 countries.
• •PHW Group (including the Wiesenhof brand) commands a massive market presence centered in Germany, operating across integrated agricultural stages.

What are the recent trends and outlook?

The sector's outlook into 2026 is generally positive, buoyed by declining energy prices and a cooling of the volatile feed ingredient costs that squeezed margins during 2021-2022. However, regional expansion is split, with Eastern European output surging while Western member states face capacity caps due to strict environmental rules.

• •EU-wide chicken meat production is forecast to grow by 1.3% in 2026, reaching 12.25 million metric tons following a 3% growth burst in 2025 (USDA FAS).
• •Producers in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands face hard production ceilings due to national and EU-mandated nitrogen and carbon emission constraints.
• •Wholesale market price corrections materialized in 2024, with average poultry output prices dropping 5.3% as supply chains stabilized (Eurostat).

How is the industry regulated?

EU poultry processing is subject to some of the strictest sanitary, phytosanitary, and animal welfare standards globally. Regulatory frameworks strictly control biosecurity to counter Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), dictate environmental boundaries for farms, and govern international trade barriers.

• •The European Parliament approved strengthened safeguard regulations in February 2026, allowing temporary tariff suspensions if sensitive poultry imports exceed historical averages by more than 5%.
• •The revised Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), effective late October 2025, reimposed specific import quotas to shield EU farmers from cheap external supply.
• •An Omnibus food safety law enacted in December 2025 implements 'mirror clauses' requiring imported poultry to comply strictly with EU animal welfare and environmental baselines.

Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.

• Eurostat Key Figures on the European Food Chain 2025 Edition ·
• USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Poultry and Products Semi-annual Report 2026 ·
• European Commission Short-term Agricultural Outlook 2026