POULTRY Poultry Market Outlook - July and August
Discover the latest insights with our Poultry Market Outlook this month!
Stay ahead of the curve with up-to-date information on global poultry protein market prices.
Dive into our expert analysis and discover the driving forces behind the industry’s evolution.
Stay informed, stay ahead—don’t miss out!
FARM INPUTS OVERVIEW – WORLDWIDE
This summer, commodity prices were highly volatile, with significant increases. Uncertainty surrounding the EU corn harvest, now expected to be particularly disappointing, together with persistent geopolitical and climate-related tensions, supported the market.
Corn
- European corn prices rebounded over the summer, from $241.9/t in June to $257.8/t in August. The heatwave this summer significantly reduced crop prospects, particularly in France, where production is expected to fall by 33.8% compared with the 2025/26 season.
- China is expected to harvest a record corn crop this season, at 307 Mt, up 7% from the five-year average. Corn prices have changed little at $365.6/t in August, compared with $365.7/t in July and $361.1/t in June.
- Prices on the U.S. market also rose sharply over the summer, increasing by 13.0% between June and August. Mainly driven by field observations from the Pro Farmer Crop Tour that estimated the U.S. crop at around 389 Mt, well below USDA forecasts, which remain above 400 Mt.
- In Brazil, prices also recorded successive increases in July and August. Markets have been supported by the international environment, while excessive rainfall has slowed planting of the country’s first corn crop.
Soya and Soybean meal
- In Europe prices fell by $16/t between June and August. Market participants are factoring in favourable crop prospects in the United States. However, prices remain significantly above last year’s level, up 13.8% year on year in August.
- Soybean prices rose sharply in Brazil by $18.9/t between June and August. A historically strong El Niño event has raised concerns among market operators in Brazil, fearing excessive rainfall, which could disrupt soybean planting in the fall and later affect harvesting.
- In Chicago, soybean prices remain relatively high, averaging $335.7/t in July and August, compared with $274.9/t year-on-year. Supported by tensions in the Middle East, domestic crushing expected to reach a record level, and strong export activity.
- The Chinese soybean market moved higher, influenced by the U.S. market. Prices reached $481.7/t in August, compared with $465.2/t in June. China is following through on its commitments to the United States and has resumed purchases of U.S. soybeans.
ENERGY
BROILER PRICE MARKET OVERVIEW – WORLDWIDE
July reversed June’s pattern: prices eased in the EU and the US, edged up in China and softened in Brazil during school holidays. Ample supply, and summer heatwaves weighed on flock performance and demand. Rabobank raised its 2026 global growth forecast to 3-3.5% (from 2.5-3%) but flags oversupply risk. Costs are rising, led by maize in Europe, while day-old chick prices continue to climb everywhere. Brazil’s EU delisting on 3 September was confirmed.
BROILER CHICKEN PRICE OVERVIEW – EUROPE
The average EU price fell 1% in July. Production remained strong (+5.5% in H1 2026), led by Hungary, Romania and Poland. Germany, France and the Netherlands continued to decline. Behind the EU average, Polish live bird prices rebounded, whith markets in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium largely stable. Heatwaves caused significant mortality but did not tighten supply, although DOC availability may be affected from September. In H1 2026, 82 Newcastle disease outbreaks were reported across Europe, impacting both broiler and breeder flocks. Meanwhile, imports from Brazil jumped 550% in July, suggesting stockpiling ahead of the delisting.
BROILER CHICKEN PRICE OVERVIEW – USA
The composite price fell 3.6% in July to its lowest monthly level of 2026, and the decline continued into early August. The USDA cut its Q3 and Q4 forecasts to below $2.60/kg, implying a 5% drop in the annual average price. June production jumped 7.8% year-on-year, and the 2026 output projection has been raised to 10.9 Mt (+3.4%). Exports offer no relief: shipments fell 0.6% in July, with a sharp drop to Asia (-31%).
BROILER CHICKEN PRICE OVERVIEW – BRAZIL
Domestic demand softened over the school holidays and grower purchasing power declined. Paraná production costs rose to BRL 4.77/kg (+1.4%), with chicks up 15% y-o-y. Exports offset the slowdown: 519,200 t in July (+29.9% y-o-y), reflecting recovery from the 2025 HPAI episode. Middle East shipments have rebounded after the March–April Hormuz disruption, now routed via Oman and Saudi Arabia. ABPA sees the EU loss as manageable despite lower breast fillet revenue, and frontloading has already covered Brazil’s usual annual EU volume in under eight months.
BROILER CHICKEN PRICE OVERVIEW – CHINA
The live bird price rose 1.3% month-on-month by mid-July. Farming nonetheless remains loss-making, weighed down by the seasonal summer trough and high frozen stocks. Exports reached 673,400 t in H1 (+55%) while imports fell 30%, confirming China’s shift to net exporter status. Chinese analysts still expect a marked slowdown in H2 as demand from Russia, China’s third-largest market.
