Pork Market in Poland after the EU Accession

Pork production in Poland has a significant economic, social and environmental impact. Favourable natural conditions as well as the tradition and consumption patterns have made Poland, producing 2.5-2.8 million tonnes of pig livestock (in liveweight), one of the biggest producers in the EU. The pig sector is not only one of the most important branches of the Polish agri-food economy, but is also considered one of the most sensitive ones (Rowinski, Tereszczuk 2008). What makes it so important is its large share in commercial production and agricultural income, sales revenue and employment, as well as a high level of pork consumption and its share in consumers? food spending. Following Poland?s accession to the EU, the development of the pig sector has been more hindered than the production and processing of poultry, milk and beef. Poland has become a shortage country in pork production, the share of imports in the supply of the domestic market has increased to 40%, and the negative balance of foreign trade in pork reached in 2016 220 thousand tonnes in a meat equivalent and EUR 342 million. The article presents the changes taking place on the pork market in Poland in 2004-2016 and indicates the factors determining them. Problems relating to pork production are mainly due to: fragmented farm structure compared to those in EU-15 Member States, decreasing share of pork in agricultural commercial production und in the total meat production, low price competitiveness, problems with ASF in the eastern regions of Poland and hindered exports due to an embargo imposed by Russia.