Polish poultry gains Asian buyers as EU weighs 45% promotion budget cut

Polish poultry builds a wider Asian customer base

Poland's poultry industry is expanding its presence in Asian markets, with South Korea, the Philippines and Japan becoming increasingly relevant destinations. Farmer.pl reported that the National Poultry Council–Chamber of Commerce, known as KRD-IG, presented the latest export results and the outlook for Polish poultry meat sales in Southeast Asia during a press briefing.

KRD-IG is running promotional campaigns in South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines. The organisation says the first results can already be seen in trade statistics. South Korea imported 245 tonnes of Polish poultry meat in 2025 and another 177 tonnes during the first four months of 2026. Although the absolute volume remains modest, the 2026 figure shows that shipments are advancing at a faster pace than in the previous year.

Dariusz Goszczyński, president of KRD-IG, also announced that poultry meat shipments to Japan had started. Farmer.pl did not provide a volume for the Japanese trade or detailed figures for the Philippines and Vietnam. The opening of another demanding Asian market nevertheless broadens the industry's commercial reach and could provide a foundation for additional sales if Polish suppliers secure repeat orders.

Non-EU sales offer diversification

The European Union remains the main market for Polish poultry. Goszczyński said, however, that further development of the sector requires a consistent increase in sales to non-EU countries. A broader destination mix would reduce exposure to economic conditions inside the bloc and to intensifying competition in the global food market.

For producers and processors, access to several Asian markets can create outlets beyond established European customers. Importers in South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines also gain another potential source of poultry meat. Commercial growth will depend on market-specific promotion, buyer relationships and the industry's ability to maintain access to individual destinations.

The Asian expansion is occurring while European producers face a wider debate over competition from outside the bloc. Producer organisations have linked the issue to the EU–Mercosur agreement and negotiations with other trade partners, arguing that greater access for agricultural imports increases pressure on European farmers. In that environment, they see promotion abroad as a tool for developing offsetting export opportunities.

Brussels proposes a sharp reduction in promotion funds

The European Commission has proposed reducing the budget for promoting EU food from €205 million in 2026 to €112 million in 2027, a decline of 45%, according to Farmer.pl. The largest reductions would affect multinational programmes and campaigns conducted in non-EU markets—the categories most closely aligned with efforts to establish European food products in Asia.

The proposal was discussed during a meeting of the European Commission's Civil Dialogue Group on Quality and Promotion in Brussels on 24 June 2026. Industry organisations warned that the reduction would hit activities supporting European food exports beyond the EU. Copa-Cogeca considers promotion one of the principal instruments for supporting exports and strengthening the competitive position of EU food in foreign markets.

Industry groups seek control over market strategy

Mirosław Maliszewski, chairman of the Polish parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, described the Commission's signals as contradictory. He recalled that EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen had recently spoken in Poland about ensuring that promotion funding worked properly in both the internal market and foreign markets.

Maliszewski argued that industry organisations representing farmers should continue deciding how promotional funds are spent because they understand the timing and requirements of individual markets. In his view, the state's role should be limited to administering the resources, while decisions on target markets should avoid excessive political influence.

For Poland's poultry sector, the timing is consequential. Sales to South Korea are gathering pace and Japan has only just opened as a destination. A smaller EU budget, particularly for campaigns outside the bloc, could make it harder to turn initial shipments into sustained commercial flows. The final impact will depend on whether the proposed 2027 reduction is adopted and how the remaining €112 million is allocated among products, countries and programme formats.