The pork market - Italy

1.1 Definition and presentation

The pig is a domesticated mammal raised for its meat; like all animals, pigs come in a variety of breeds and origins, each with distinct tastes and attributes. The Eastern breed produces fattier meat useful for lard, while the European breed produces leaner, more prized meat; the most prized breed is the Mangalica, a rare Hungarian pig from which some of the finest meat in the world is obtained. Pork has many different cuts and cooking methods, but it is mainly distinguished as fresh or processed meat. Not all religions allow the use of pork in cooking, among them the Jewish religion and Islam. The world pig population is currently in decline, with China's pig herd suffering significant losses due to African swine disease in 2018-2019. As a result of the disease, there have been a series of compulsory cullings, and significant amounts of Chinese meat have been drowned in international markets. China, on the other hand, has started importing massive amounts of pork since 2019, causing pork prices to skyrocket.

The global pork market was valued at $236,112.7 million in 2019, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.9 percent from 2021 to 2027, reaching $257,874.5 million by 2027.

Pork in Italy is an integral part of the culinary culture; in fact, Italy is the home of the highest quality pork sausages and fresh butchered meat. From northern to southern Italy, pork is handled with extreme care and sold in specialized butcher shops, delicatessens, or supermarkets. The vast majority of pigs raised in Italy are bred in the north. Expertise in developing large pigs weighing more than 160 kg for the production of ham is a distinctive feature of Italian pig farming. More than 10 million pigs are slaughtered each year in Italy, compared with about 252 million pigs slaughtered in Europe. After the small recession due to the pandemic, Italy is increasing its production and especially has resumed exporting Italian pork.