European import restrictions promise a catastrophe for Poland’s poultry industry

Even short-term EU restrictions on Poland’s poultry imports will deal a heavy blow to the industry, incurring unprecedented losses to farmers, according to local market players.

The European Commission is considering banning poultry exports from several regions of Poland affected by the recent series of bird flu outbreaks, with the potential restrictions being enforced as soon as 23 April.

The European Commission’s plans, originally reported by several local publications, were confirmed by the Polish Agricultural Minister Czesław Siekierski during a press conference on 11 April. “Talks are underway on this matter,” Siekierski said. “There is a proposal [to ban poultry exports from] designated areas. It is still too early to talk about a threat [to Poland’s poultry industry]. I cannot confirm this at the moment.”

The news about the possible European export restrictions caught Poland’s poultry industry by storm.

According to Gazeta Wyborcza, a local business newspaper, originally, the European Commission considered imposing a complete embargo on Poland’s poultry. During the negotiations, the focus has been shifted towards restrictions on several regions heavily impacted by the bird flu outbreaks. These regions, including northern Mazovia and Wielkopolska, jointly account for 40% of Poland’s poultry production.

Last year, Poland, the largest European poultry exporter, produced 3.5 million tonnes of poultry, of which 2 million were delivered to foreign customers. Roughly 69% of exports went to EU member states.

Since the beginning of 2024, 75 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza were registered in Poland. These outbreaks have been a major concern for the European Commission, leading to their consideration of imposing restrictions on Poland’s poultry exports.

Dariusz Goszczyński, president of the National Poultry Chamber of Commerce, warned that even temporary restrictions on poultry exports from Wielkopolska will have a dramatic impact on Poland’s poultry industry. The restrictions, if approved, will be an unprecedented step for the European Union, he said.

“Bird flu has been attacking various countries for years with varying intensity, but the European Commission has never introduced restrictions on such a scale. The consequences will be terrible; the losses will amount to billions of złoty,” Goszczyński noted.

As a result of the ban, Poland will have to dispose of millions of eggs that are ready to hatch, empty the hen houses, and suspend production at many poultry farms for several months. Poland may lose its position in world markets, which it put a lot of effort into gaining, and other suppliers will take its place, Goszczyński said.

Tags: EU, Poland, Poultry, European Commission, imports, restrictions, outbreaks, bird flu, highly pathogenic avian influenza