Broiler prices find a provisional bottom

The Dutch broiler price appears to have reached a provisional low point. Prices are trading significantly below the levels seen in recent years. In addition to ample supply, substantial imports continue to exert downward pressure on the market.The Dutch slaughterhouse quotation published by VCN has remained unchanged over the past three weeks at €1.03 per broiler. Meanwhile, the free-market quotation has also been stable for several weeks at €1.07 per kilogram. This is still largely due to strong demand from Belgium, where prices remain higher. Traders who are primarily active on the open market generally sell their poultry in both countries.The supply of broilers remains relatively abundant, which is placing particular pressure on poultry meat prices. This is partly the result of increased production, but imports into the European Union also remain strong from multiple origins. Brazilian exports, in particular, continue to be very robust. According to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association, exports from the country reached 40,200 tonnes, representing an increase of 61.6%.Looking at average poultry meat prices across the European Union, prices have in fact moved beyond their recent low and have been trading above €3.00 per kilogram again since Week 21, based on carcass prices. This is largely due to a stronger market position in Poland. The country has significantly improved its export performance through markedly lower prices.At the end of April, the carcass price had fallen to €173.12 per 100 kilograms, according to Eurostat data. Since then, it has risen sharply to €214.30 per 100 kilograms in Week 21, the latest available figure. This represents an increase of no less than 23.6% within three weeks. The rise is the result of a strong increase in Polish exports, which are partly responsible for the substantial decline in Dutch chicken prices.Ukrainian giant strengthens its foothold in the EUMeanwhile, Ukraine’s leading poultry producer MHP continues its acquisition strategy. The company is by far the largest poultry producer in the country, accounting for more than half of Ukraine’s poultry sector and, according to an analysis by the Kyiv School of Economics, responsible for up to 86% of the country’s exports.The poultry group has reached an agreement to acquire up to 100% of Greece’s Nitsiakos in stages, one of the country’s largest vertically integrated poultry producers. Nitsiakos is expected to generate revenues of approximately €540 million in 2025. The company operates in poultry, meat, animal feed and pet food.MHP supplies the majority of Ukrainian chicken exports to the European Union. As exporting to the bloc has become more challenging, and because the ongoing controversy surrounding the company poses a risk of further trade restrictions, MHP has pursued an acquisition strategy within the European Union in recent years. This enables the company to trade more freely within the EU single market.In August 2025, MHP acquired a majority stake in Spain’s Grupo UVESA. Prior to that, the company purchased several businesses in Slovenia and Croatia.