Polish Pig Breeders Await Brussels Aid: European Commission Responds

The European Commission is reviewing Poland’s request for emergency financial support for pig producers, with a decision expected within a month.

European Commission Review

The European Commission will address the Polish request regarding the activation of emergency financial support for pig producers. According to information provided to PAP by a source in the EC, a decision on the matter should be made within a month.

“We have received the request from the Polish authorities for emergency financial support for pig producers. We are currently analyzing its content. The Commission will continue to monitor the development of the pork market situation in Poland and the entire EU, remaining ready to take action if the situation requires it,” the EC press service told PAP.

Ministry Action and Market Conditions

The request was submitted to the EC by Minister of Agriculture Stefan Krajewski. The ministry pointed to the ongoing decline in purchase prices and the deteriorating economic situation of the sector.

As stated in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MRiRW) announcement, the purpose of the request is to obtain financial compensation for pig producers due to the unprofitability of production. The support would be launched based on the regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) on the common organization of agricultural markets.

The ministry notes that pig prices in Poland are currently 7 percent lower than the EU average. According to the ministry, it is difficult to expect a reversal of the downward price trend in the coming months, both due to the seasonal nature of price changes and historically low prices on the EU market, as well as strong supply pressure resulting from price competition from Brazil and Canada on the international market.

Minister Stefan Krajewski stressed that Polish producers have been struggling with falling prices for many months, which, alongside rising production costs, causes a difficult economic situation for the pig sector in 2026.

Previous Requests and Production Data

The application was sent to the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen. It constitutes a response to the demands raised by pig breeders during an online meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture held on July 17 this year.

The MRiRW recalls that the previous request for support for the sector was sent to the European Commission in December 2025. The Commission then considered that the conditions justifying the activation of emergency market measures had not been met. It was pointed out that despite difficulties related to, among other things, the effects of ASF and price instability, Poland was among the countries recording one of the higher growths in pork production in the European Union.

In the period from January to August 2025, 13.5 million pigs were slaughtered in Poland, which corresponded to a production level of 1.3 million tons. This means an increase of 4.8 percent by weight and 3.5 percent by quantity year-on-year. For comparison, the weight increase in slaughters during this time was 6.3 percent in Spain, 1.9 percent in Germany, and 1 percent in Denmark.

Breeder Demands

During the July meeting, breeders postulated applying again to the European Commission to activate emergency pig market support measures, expanding the catalog of agricultural products covered by the SENT system to include pork and beef, and liquidating the promotion funds concerning these sectors.