FLASH NEWS
Brazil the main supplier/ Consumption dependence on imported meat increases, reaching 48 thousand tons per year
2025-04-03 09:15:45 / EKONOMI&SOCIALE
Year after year, the domestic market is becoming increasingly dependent on imported meat. On the one hand, the decline in the number of animals for meat and on the other hand, the increase in demand from positive developments in tourism are driving imports and with them the risk of substandard products entering.
According to official data from INSTAT, meat imports between 2014 and 2024 increased by 29%. In 2024, 48 thousand tons of meat were imported.
During this period, consumption's dependence on imports has also expanded.
In 2014, annual meat consumption reached 192 thousand tons, of which 19.6 percent was imported. In 2023, meat consumption reached 184 thousand tons, of which 26 percent was imported, according to INSTAT data on domestic meat production and imports.
The increase in dependence on meat imports is linked to the contraction of livestock in the country. During 2014-2023, the number of cattle decreased by 47%, small animals by 34%, and pigs by 33%. The pace of decline has deepened especially after the pandemic. A number of small livestock farms have gone bankrupt due to high emigration of young people and the aging and shrinking population in the countryside.
Demographic indicators and state policies to promote livestock farming suggest that meat imports will increase year on year. The agricultural subsidy scheme excludes small farms that are in bankruptcy, while the number of animals for meat is experiencing double-digit declines year on year.
Foreign trade data show that Brazil was the main supplier of meat to our market during the three decades of transition. Last year, a total of 48 thousand tons of meat were imported, of which 26.8 percent were from Brazil. The second place in terms of the amount of meat imported is the USA, followed by Greece, Italy, Paraguay, etc.
The share of meat imports from Brazil has declined over the past decade. In 2024, meat from this country accounted for 31.1% of total meat imports, while in 2024 it accounted for about 27%.
Meat imports from Greece have increased significantly over the past decade. In 2014, imports from the country accounted for 7.9% of total meat imports, while in 2024 they accounted for 19%. Meat imports from Paraguay also increased over the decade. This country was the fifth most important supplier of meat to Albania with 5% of total imports, up from 0.7% in 2014.
The demand for meat consumption has increased in recent years, even though the population has decreased by 15 percent between 2011-2023. But the proliferation of tourists and restaurants has caused the demand for meat to be on an upward trend.
The increase in imports is exposing the population's health to substandard products. Salmonella cases have increased in recent years, while quality controls are failing to prevent the consumption of infected meat. Salmonella causes severe symptoms that require hospital treatment and can be life-threatening. /MONITOR
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