GERMANY

Butchers are taking advantage of low prices at the beginning of the year

In January 2026, the amount of pork in storage increased by approximately 30,000 tons compared to the previous month of December.

Posted on Mar 25 ,00:20

Pork inventories rose significantly at the beginning of the year, following substantial reductions. According to AMI, slaughterhouses took advantage of the low prices to replenish their frozen storage facilities – raising the prospects for further price increases in the spring, but also posing risks due to potential energy cost hikes.

According to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI), the relatively manageable stock levels in cold storage facilities at the beginning of the year significantly contributed to the rapid reduction of the excess stocks that had accumulated. These excess stocks had built up due to the holiday season around Christmas and New Year's.

In the final weeks of the previous year, warehouses had already been noticeably depleted: The stock of pork held by members of the Association of German Cold Storage and Refrigerated Logistics Companies (VDKL) amounted to 64,000 tons in December 2025. It should be noted that the storage capacities of some large slaughterhouses that are not members of the VDKL are not included in this figure.

In January 2026, the amount of pork in storage increased by approximately 30,000 tons compared to the previous month of December. For comparison, in January 2025, the amount in storage had only increased by 16,000 tons. Slaughterhouses and processors took advantage of the favorable prices at the beginning of the year and built up their inventories accordingly, AMI commented.
This allows downstream stages to benefit from price increases in the spring when they can access more cheaply purchased raw materials. However, this carries the risk of rising energy costs, for example, in light of the conflict in the Middle East.

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