Pork market in New Caledonia

Earlier Report Observations

The pork market in New Caledonia is fundamentally shaped by its reliance on domestic production from hundreds of local farms, as regulations allow only frozen pork imports for processing. This structure supported a relatively stable market volume between 2018 and 2020, ranging from 3 527 t to 3 546 t.

Market volume rose 5.7% to 3 747 t in 2021, primarily due to a sharp increase in imports to 855 t. This shift coincided with operational disruptions at the key OCEF slaughterhouses in Bourail and Païta, which hindered local production, and the beginning of a sustained increase in animal feed prices. In response, the government revised OCEF's purchase prices, margins, and tariffs in 2022, leading to an 8% rise in consumer meat prices and the signing of a 12-month interprofessional agreement to stabilize the market. These measures supported a rebound in domestic production to 3 014 t, but imports fell, causing total market volume to decrease to 3 638 t. By 2023, continued pressure from high feed costs contributed to a drop in production to 2 776 t, while imports increased again, resulting in a market volume of 3 573 t.

The OCEF slaughterhouses gradually resumed operations to support local output. Into 2024, imports continued to grow, reaching 847 t, while government policy maintained support for the domestic meat sector through OCEF with a focus on food self-sufficiency.

Production pork in New Caledonia

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of pork, 2017-2020

World map of production of pork, 2017-2020

In 2020, New Caledonia produced 2 918 tons of pork, representing a modest 4.6% increase compared to the previous year. The lowest production level was recorded in 2019 at 2 791 tons, which also saw the most significant decline of 4.0%.

Annual dynamics of production in New Caledonia in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports pork from New Caledonia

Exports in kind, t

New Caledonia's pork exports remained at 0.0 tons in 2020, showing no significant change from the prior year.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from New Caledonia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, nearly all of New Caledonia's pork exports by volume went to Samoa, which accounted for 100.0% of total shipments.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from New Caledonia in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

In 2020, the value of pork exports from New Caledonia stood at 1 000 US dollars, remaining nearly unchanged from 2019 levels.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from New Caledonia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, Samoa continued to be the dominant destination for New Caledonia's pork exports in value terms, capturing 100.0% of the market share.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from New Caledonia in value, 2017-2020

Imports pork to New Caledonia

Imports in kind, t

Following two years of growth, pork imports to New Caledonia declined in 2020. The import volume reached 628.2 tons, reflecting a substantial 13.6% decrease compared to 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, imports grew by 3.5%, equivalent to an annualized rate of 1.1%. The peak import volume was recorded in 2019 at 727.2 tons, which also saw the largest annual increase of 17.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to New Caledonia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Sweden and Australia remained the primary sources for New Caledonia's pork imports by volume, together accounting for 80.3% of total shipments, with other partners making up the remainder.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to New Caledonia in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Pork imports to New Caledonia increased for the second consecutive year in 2020, with import value reaching 2 377 000 US dollars, marking a gradual 5.3% rise compared to the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 period, import value grew by 29.7%, representing a compound annual growth rate of 9.0%. The lowest import value was recorded in 2018 at 1 601 000 US dollars, which also experienced the most significant decline of 12.7%. The largest annual increase occurred in 2019 at 41.0%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to New Caledonia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Throughout 2017-2020, Australia (39.7% of import value), Sweden (37.9% of import value), and Finland (12.8% of import value) formed the core of New Caledonia's pork imports by value, collectively accounting for 90.4% of total flows.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to New Caledonia in value, 2017-2020