The signs of growth which were recorded in the first quarter of 2015 mean that the total figure for the half year was up by 1% on the same time period in 2014.

Despite this rise, the total value fell by 9% to DKK8.4 billion (€1.1 billion). The EU remains the primary market for Danish pork, with exports increasing 3% on the corresponding time frame in 2014.

The rise in sales to Poland, Italy and the UK, by 7%, 15% and 10% respectively, was enough to offset the 2% decline to Germany.

Exports to non-EU markets decreased by 3%, with Japan remaining as the largest such market, despite a reduction of 25%.

This drop in exports to Japan is partly a result of the country’s domestic production recovering from outbreaks of PEDv in 2014.

Australia continued to be a major growth market, with purchases for the first half of 2015 more than a quarter up on 2014.

The majority of this growth was recorded in the first quarter, with exports increasing at a slower rate in the second quarter of the year. Unlike some other EU exporters, growth in shipments to China was a modest 12%.

Following recent trends, Danish live pig exports have continued to grow, reaching over 6.5 million head for the first half of 2015.

Sales increased by 10% as farmers choose to sell more of their weaners to be finished at a cheaper cost in other countries. In total, 1% more pigs were shipped to Germany, while Polish purchases rose by a further 27%, maintaining its position as the main growth market.