Exports in the third quarter have picked up slightly in comparison to the first half of the year but the disruption at the Breton pig market auction continues to have an effect on trade.

Shipments to other EU Member States fell by 9 per cent for the nine month period, with the loss being driven by Italy and the UK.

Despite the decline in exports, Italy remained the main destination for French pork, with volumes amounting to just below 70,000 tonnes, 22 per cent of total shipments.

French pork destined for the UK declined by nearly 10 per cent, whilst Greece recorded a drop of 20 per cent compared to the same nine months in 2014.

In contrast, China continues to be a growth market for EU pork producers, with shipments from France up by more than half.

During the third quarter of 2015, China moved its position to the second largest market for French pork, overtaking the UK.

In line with the overall trend, the total value of French pork exports for the first nine months of 2015 totalled €550.9 million, down 14 per cent on the year.

Imports of pork into France for the first nine months of the year also recorded a decline, compared to the previous year, being down by over 2 per cent.

Whilst shipments from Spain remained fairly stable, the loss predominately came from Germany, with imports reducing by 10 per cent.

Once again, a fall in the unit value of imports of 10 per cent, resulted in the overall value for the same time period totalling €626.9 million, down by 12 per cent.