29/04/2020

Press Release

Fearing an oversupply crisis, the European poultry meat and eggs sectors call on the Commission to manage the influx of imports

In a letter sent today to DG AGRI, Copa and Cogeca express the growing concerns of the poultry meat and eggs sector regarding the impact of the closure of hotels, restaurants and catering services due to the COVID-19 crisis. Faced with a fall in consumption of specific segments, the European organisations call on the Commission to managed imports through the TRQ management mechanisms according to consumer market changes to avoid any oversupply in Europe.

Without the HORECA channel, some high-quality productions have been strongly affected: duck, pigeon, quail, rabbit, guinea fowl and goose. Even though consumers continue buying broiler and turkey meat in retail, these markets have been impacted too. Poultry meat sold in retail does not compensate for the loss of the HORECA channel.

A similar phenomenon is recorded for egg products as well, as most of these would normally go to out-of-home food services. At the same time, demand has risen for shell eggs sold in retail, including enriched cage eggs, leading to some shortages. The egg sector has also signalled problems with the transport for hatching eggs and day-old chicks, as many of them fly in passenger planes, and flights in most member states have decreased. In addition, producers have also reported a strong decrease and lack of availability of some types of feed, such as organic soy.

In parallel to this, the EU keeps importing great quantities of frozen poultry meat from third countries, for which HORECA is the key outlet. Thus, poultry meat is piling up and freezers all over the EU are already full, waiting for the confinement measures to be over.

For Charles Bourns, Copa and Cogeca Poultry meat and Eggs Working Party Chairman "This situation will cause an oversupply crisis from the moment restaurants, hotels and catering are open again, as consumers will not go to eat out of home twice as much as they did before the crisis. This will put tremendous pressure on price."

Given the key role of TRQ management as a strong market management measure, Copa and Cogeca ask the European Commission to manage the influx of imports according to the consumer market changes in a way that would avoid an oversupply crisis. In addition to this measure, the European farmers and agri-cooperatives are calling for specific measures to be financed outside the CAP, especially focusing on the maintenance parent and grandparent stocks to avoid disruptions within the sector*.

-END-

Download the letter sent by Copa and Cogeca to DG Agri HERE

*To better understand the importance of parent's and grand-parents stocks to avoid disruptions within the sector, you can have a look at the below infographic produced in close collaboration

Copa - Cogeca | European Farmers European Agri-Cooperatives 61, Rue de Trèves | B - 1040 Bruxelles | www.copa-cogeca.eu

EU Transparency Register Number | Copa 44856881231-49 | Cogeca 09586631237-74

with AVEC and ELPHA and/or download it HERE. Feel free to use the following material within your publication(s)

For further information, please contact:

Thomas Sanchez

Jean-Baptiste Boucher

Policy Advisor

Communications Director

thomas.sanchez@copa-cogeca.eu

Mobile: + 32 474 840 836

jean-baptiste.boucher@copa-cogeca.eu

CDP(20)2776:1

Attachments

  • Original document
  • Permalink

Disclaimer

Copa - Cogeca published this content on 29 April 2020 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 29 April 2020 18:42:01 UTC