Hungary increases poultry meat exports by 29% as production recovers

Hungary significantly increased poultry meat production and exports in 2026 following major avian influenza outbreaks during the previous season. In January–May, the country exported 113 thsd tons of poultry meat, up 29% compared with the same period in 2025. Export revenues increased by 22.3% to HUF 123.5 bln (EUR 337 mln).

According to Hungary’s Institute of Agricultural Economics (AKI), poultry slaughter increased by 17.9% year-on-year to nearly 134 mln birds in the first half of 2026. Live-weight poultry production rose by more than 20% to 417 thsd tons, while output in carcass weight reached almost 313 thsd tons.

The strongest growth was recorded in the duck sector, which suffered the most from last year’s avian influenza outbreaks. During the first six months of 2026, 13.9 mln ducks were slaughtered, an increase of 78% compared with the same period last year. Ducks accounted for 10.4% of total poultry slaughter.

The rapid recovery in production partly reflects a low comparison base. Between October 2024 and May 2025, Hungary confirmed 293 avian influenza outbreaks across 12 regions. Approximately 4.5 mln birds were lost due to the disease, including 2.57 mln ducks and nearly 1.16 mln broilers. As a result, duck slaughter volumes declined by 33% in 2025.

The recovery of production capacity has enabled Hungarian companies to expand their presence in international markets. Meanwhile, Hungary’s poultry meat imports fell by 24.2% to 16.4 thsd tons in January–May. However, export revenues increased more slowly than shipment volumes, indicating a decline in average export prices. Despite the improving avian influenza situation, the renewed spread of Newcastle disease remains an additional risk for the industry.

Tags: Hungary, duck, livestock sector