Domestic and Export Markets
| Exports |
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The Hungarian poultry sector is export-oriented, with negligible import levels. According to national data for 1995 the decisive ma jority of direct imports - amounting to USD 17 million - were of breeding products. The importance of exports for the national economy is amply demonstrated by its 13-16% share within the food industry. 
Looking at the most important product groups, the 1995 revenues of the broiler chicken sector amounted to approximately USD 160 million. Naturally, the goose sector is the highest earner of foreign currency, with foreign currency revenues, including processed feather, totalling USD 160 million. Adding raw feather exports worth USD 6.7 million, the goose - an almost "sacred" animal in Hungary - accounts for 40% of Hungarian poultry industry exports.The other waterfowl breed, duck, has solid markets, realising a revenue of around USD 30-40 million annually. As far as turkey is concerned, in the early 1990s exports started extremely dynamically, good results being repeated in 1996. This sector currently has export revenues exceeding USD 40 million. Despite a drop in specific revenuefrom fattened liver exports, this sector may content itself with its success in preventing the collapse of the goose liver market and prices by persistent and hard work. Hungary has a firm hold on its dominant position in the world goose liver trade. Hungary - taking into consideration the interests of animal protection - does not intend to further increase its goose liver output: instead, it is seeking to maitain current levels, a decision which has had a positive affect on the goose liver market. 
Looking at the structure of poultry exports it is clear that since 1990 the share of the European Union has been absolutely predominant, a dominance which was further strengthened as a result of Austria - a major buyer - joining the EU in 1995. This community of countries governed by the same rules buys close to 80% of the export produce of the Hungarian poultry sector. The largest buyers are the German-speaking countries (Germany and Austria), a region which has traditionally been the largest import market for goose and duck meat. Of course, Hungarian exports to these countries also include chicken and turkey, which are soughtafter also in Italy. The main end users of fattened liver are French processing plants: their share of market exceeds 80%. As far as goose liver is concerned, there has been a notable increase in exports to the Japanese market, which demands high quality but is willing to pay a good price. Outside the European Union, Switzerland is also a traditional buyer of Hungarian poultry products. Finally, Hungarian poultry has recently made a come-back in countries where it had lost its previous market position.We hope that upon attaining memberchip of the EU Hungary will estabilish itself as an internal supplier. The level of such participation will be closely linked to the volumes granted by the quota system. An increase in volume is most likely to take place in relation to third countries. |
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