Catalonia reinforces its leadership in the State in production and export of cured meats

BarcelonaThe meat industry is the main agri-food sector in Catalonia, both in terms of business volume and employment. And within this field, the cured meats sector has a very significant weight and is a benchmark within the State. According to a new mapping of the sector published this Friday by Promotora d'Exportacions Catalanes (Prodeca) – an organization attached to the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food – the cooked and cured meats sector in Catalonia has consolidated itself as a leader in production and export in Spain as a whole, with a share of 44% of turnover volume and 58% of export sales volume.

The latest available data, corresponding to 2023, place the turnover of the Catalan cured meats sector at 2,856 million euros, with an average annual growth of 6.6% since 2019. The industry, made up of 180 companies employing more than 15,500 workers, stands out above all for its export componentrecent commercial and war tensionsrecent trade and war tensions – in addition to the future consequences of African swine fever – the cured meats sector in Catalonia has accumulated twelve consecutive years of increasing foreign sales.

In this regard, the industry welcomes the signing of free trade agreements by the European Commission, which

In this regard, the industry celebrates the signing of free trade agreements by the European Commission, which open doors to markets such as Mercosur, Mexico or various Asian countries. "Preferential agreements are a very relevant tool because they reduce tariffs and facilitate markets," points out Marc Oliveras, head of the knowledge and strategy area at Prodeca, in statements to ARA.

Despite everything, the market continues to focus on the local customer, who still represents 78% of revenue. "The future of the sector not only involves selling abroad, but also understanding the consumer and adapting to local changes," states Oliveras. Among the trends of Catalan consumers in recent years, there is a higher demand for sliced products, "snacks" and those with a high protein content, while alternative protein loses momentum. "Ultimately, innovation within the cured meats sector is not about creating new products, but about adapting to what the customer demands," summarizes the Prodeca representative.

Strength of large groups

One of the reasons that explain the sector's growth despite recent crises has to do, according to Prodeca, with the "innovation capacity" of companies. This adaptability to new environments is explained by the economies of scale of large groups and their international dimension, with sufficiently diversified sales to react to geopolitical shocks.

Good proof of this is the ranking of the ten main cured meat companies in the State, six of which are Catalan. Among them are Casa Tarradellas, Noel, Argal or the Costa Brava group.

In the same way, the mapping highlights the improvement of medium-sized companies in the sector, some with growth rates on sales higher than the industry average. From Prodeca they talk about formulas such as specialization in certain products, good brand positioning or a commitment to white labels, also called distribution brands.

Rise of large-scale distribution

The study also includes data on the sales channels for sausages and cured meats, information that highlights a higher popularity of large retailers to the detriment of independent delicatessens and butcher shops, which are closing due to a lack of generational succession or are repositioning themselves in more select points of sale. In the same vein, the mapping also detects a rise in private labels, which in one year have increased sales by 4.5% in all categories of sausages and cured meats.

Prodeca believes that this trend – distributor products are more economical than own brands – is not explained by the loss of purchasing power of families, but by an improvement in the "perceived quality" by consumers of private labels. In parallel, Oliveras is not concerned about the figures pointing to a decrease in sales through small businesses. "This does not mean that there is no longer space for specialized distribution or traditional shops. We are seeing an evolution towards models more oriented towards the consumer experience, towards more gourmet or local products and services with more added value," he points out.