White-coated pigs demonstrated their status as a driving force of the Spanish economy in 2024, thanks to their ability to “sustain production and exports at historically high levels, improve the value of exports, and consolidate the recovery of domestic consumption.” This was stated by Daniel de Miguel, deputy director of the Interprofessional Agri-Food Association of White-Coated Pigs (INTERPORC), during the presentation of the sector’s annual report.
With an annual turnover of €25 billion and more than 415,000 jobs created, white-coated pigs represent 44% of Final Livestock Production, 16.1% of Final Agricultural Production, and nearly 9.5% of industrial GDP.
In total, production reached 4.92 million tons (up 0.97%), of which 1.47 million correspond to processed products, including sausages (46%) and cured hams and shoulders (21%). The livestock census also increased by 2%, while the number of farms, predominantly family-run and rural, stands at 67,586.
Spain remains the world’s second-largest exporter and the first in the European Union, with a total of 2.72 million tons exported, valued at €8.784 billion. These figures confirm the strategy adopted to prioritize value over volume. De Miguel explained that “we sell slightly less, but with greater added value, which is a smart and sustainable strategy.”
Pork now represents 85% of Spanish meat exports, 17% of the food industry, and 2.2% of the national total. Furthermore, the sector’s positive trade balance, €8.1 billion, is second only to the automotive sector.
Recovery of Consumption in Spanish Households
One of the most significant news of the year has been the consolidation of the rebound in domestic consumption of pork and pork products that began in 2023, reaching 816,500 tons (up 2.84%), with a total expenditure of €7.707 billion (up 5.6%). For De Miguel, these data reflect that “consumers value pork as a healthy, tasty option with an excellent quality-price ratio, which also stands out for its versatility and convenience in the kitchen.”
Out-of-Home Consumption
Delving deeper into the consumption data, Javier Iglesias, of the Worldpanel Division (Kantar), noted that more and more Spaniards are choosing to consume fresh pork outside the home, with 57.4% already doing so at some point. Similarly, the number of such consumptions has increased, with a total of 7.4 times this year compared to 6.8 times in 2023.
Pork products already represent 20% of all out-of-home fresh meat consumption by volume, but there is still enormous room for growth in the restaurant channel.
Furthermore, given that the senior segment accounts for 7 out of 10 out-of-home consumptions, Kantar Worldpanel points to the appropriateness of targeting younger consumers.
