INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS OF THE POULTRY SECTOR IN POLAND OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS

Abstract

The research aimed to assess the changes that have occurred in the Polish export and import of poultry and the industry’s competitiveness. The analysis covered the years 2003 and 2022 and was carried out based on Eurostat data. The analysis included, among others, the value and balance of turnover, geographical structure, and selected competitiveness indicators. The leading importers of Polish poultry are the European Union countries. Poland has a comparative advantage mainly in the case of the EU market, which is confirmed by the increasing values of the TC and SI indicators and the decreasing HHI indicator. The obtained SI index values show that Poland had an apparent specialization in the export of poultry sector products to the markets of Great Britain, Bulgaria, Ireland, and Malta. The downward trend of the HHI index indicates the diversification of exports, which is a positive phenomenon as it provides the Polish poultry sector with stable revenues despite emerging turbulence. The reason for such a large increase in exports to EU countries was essentially the abolition of customs duties, attractive prices, and good quality of Polish products. Despite the substantial price advantages of Polish products and the favorable structure of comparative advantage indexes, poultry producers in Poland should constantly monitor the market environment. Attractively priced products offered by Ukraine, Brazil, and Thailand may harm the Polish export of these products in the coming years.