Commercial meat production in Germany declined for the first time in 15 years, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
In 2012, commercial meat production in Germany reached 8 million tonnes, a decrease of 1.9 percent or 159,000 tonnes from 2011. Meat production in 1997 totaled 4.9 million tonnes and, until 2011, advanced approximately 67 percent to roughly 8.2 million tonnes. Destatis attributed the decline in total meat production to declines in pork production, although beef production was trending down as well. Pork demand declined 2.5 percent year-on-year, and beef production slipped 1.9 percent.
Additionally, Germany’s rapid growth in poultry production sharply declined in 2012. Poultry production was narrowly higher compared to production in 2011, Destatis reported.
