Development of the Rabbit Meat Market and per Capita Rabbit Meat Consumption

Csipkés, Margit

Keywords: meat consumption, healthy eating, export-import, meat products, forecast, Q11, Q13, Q19

Due to its low cholesterol and high protein content, rabbit meat can be a good alternative for human nutrition, so it is worthwhile to review the development of the rabbit meat market and rabbit meat consumption in Hungary (in addition to poultry, pigs, etc.). Based on the officially available FAO databases, it can be seen that not only the worldwide, but also in the EU and Hungary, there are less rabbits sold. The consumption of rabbit meat is also low in the world, in the European Union and in Hungary. Per capita rabbit meat consumption was 0.46 kg in the world in 2019. In the leading EU countries: in the Czech Republic (3.72 kg / person / year), in Spain (1.09 kg / year / person), in Slovakia (0.82 kg / year / person) and in Italy (0.75 kg / person / year).
According to the FAo database, rabbit meat consumption accounted for approximately 3% of total meat consumption in the European Union in 2019. In the EU, 234,000 tons of rabbit or hares were produced in 2019, which was 8.94% lower than in the previous year. The reasons for this, in my opinion, are the negative effects of the economic crisis, the change in the lifestyles of consumers, the eating habits of consumers, and the growing dissatisfaction of consumers with the situation of rabbits in their daily lives. Spain accounted for 23% and Italy and France for 18-18% of EU rabbit meat production. These 3 countries accounted for approximately 60% of total rabbit meat production. These countries were followed by the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary (Hungarian rabbit meat production is strongly export-oriented) and Bulgaria, which accounted for approximately 35% of production in 2019.
The review of the export-import market had to consider whether whole rabbits or cut products are sold. This is because in countries where the whole rabbits are sold, there may be lower proceeds for the same quantity. However, where cut products are sold there will be much higher proceeds as more valuable meat products will be sold at a higher price. In Spain, the largest exporter in the European Union, rabbits are slaughtered at a lower weight, so they can, of course, sell their meat at a lower price. In contrast, Hungary sells most of its cut products to the most demanding Swiss and German markets, so it can achieve higher sales revenue.
In my research, I also made a forecast about the consumption of Hungarian rabbit meat in Hungary. In the case of the examined data, it can be seen that in 2019 the consumption of rabbit, goat and sheep meat was the highest in the Central Hungarian region (0.3 kg / person / year), the amount was lower or negligible in the other regions.
Based on the regional analysis, it can be stated that a minimal decrease can be predicted in the Southern and Northern Great Plain region and in the Western Transdanubia region, while a minimal increase can be predicted in the Central Hungarian region based on past data.

Full article