Pig farming in Eastern Europe gains importance

After a period in which pig production in Eastern Europe was under significant pressure, the sector has gained momentum again in recent years. High market prices and better control over the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) have had a clear impact on production numbers: there has been a notable recovery in the number of slaughterings. The former Eastern Bloc consists of 3 important pig-producing countries, namely Poland, Hungary, and Romania. After the period from 2010 to 2015, when the area seemed to be the promised land for entrepreneurial pig farmers, the emergence of ASF significantly disrupted growth, resulting in a halt in the rapid increase in the number of pigs. Many farms were affected by ASF in the subsequent period and had to be depopulated, which often involved large facilities. Dip in the number of slaughterings in 2023 Although ASF is certainly not gone from the area, companies now seem to be better organized to keep the virus at bay. The number of infections on pig farms peaked in Poland from 2017 to 2021. In the following years, the number of outbreaks on farms was at a markedly lower level. With the high prices for slaughter pigs and piglets in recent years, pork production in Eastern Europe has clearly picked up again. Collectively, Poland, Hungary, and Romania produced 16.36 million slaughter pigs from January to July 2025. This marks a significant increase compared to the 15.89 million pigs in the same period in 2024 and the 14.66 million pigs in 2023. Compared to 2024, the increase in the number of slaughterings is thus 3%. Although the increase over the past 2 years has been substantial, the figures are still far from the record levels of 2018. At that time, the aforementioned countries together produced 18.38 million meat pigs. Since the average slaughter weight has also risen significantly in Eastern Europe in recent years, the total pork production is approaching the record volumes of 2018. In the first 7 months of 2025, the total pork production was 1.60 million tons. In 2023, this volume was still at 1.37 million tons. In 2 years, pork production has thus grown by 16.8%. Another factor to consider The increasing production in Poland, Hungary, and Romania is, especially if the upward trend continues, an important factor for pig farming in Western Europe to watch. Over the past 5 years, the import demand from these countries in the Eastern Bloc has decreased significantly, and from January to July this year, export volumes are considerably above last year's levels. In other words: the rising production is partly being placed in external markets. To put the scale of the sectors in these countries in perspective, the development of the number of slaughterings in the Netherlands and the number of slaughterings from Poland, Hungary, and Romania are shown in the table below. This is based on figures from Eurostat. It includes not only slaughterings of meat pigs but also of sows. Number of pig slaughterings in millions (January to July) 2023 2024 2025 Netherlands, up to week 31) 8.76 8.68 8.42 Poland (Source: Eurostat) 10.46 11.42 11.90 Hungary (Source: Eurostat) 2.55 2.73 2.84 Romania (Source: Eurostat) 1.65 1.75 1.90 Subsidy for strengthening pig farming In addition to the fact that there is plenty of room for pig farming in Eastern Europe, the investment climate also plays a role. For example, the Hungarian government has stimulated production in pig farming in recent years through various subsidy programs. This has led to investments in large facilities for sows and meat pigs. Subsidy schemes are also designed to enable borrowing under favorable conditions. The interest rate in Hungary is high, making financing in the country typically expensive and increasing production costs. Dutch entrepreneurs have also invested in the country in recent years. Outbreaks of animal diseases remain a risk. In addition to the lingering ASF, Foot-and-Mouth Disease has also emerged this year.