Spain’s pork production has doubled in the past decade, the country ranks first in the number of pigs in the EU with close to 35 million.

It already competes with countries like China and Brazil in the global market, according to the Government of Catalonia’s annual pig observatory, MAPA, Eurostat.

However, more than half of Spain’s exported pork comes from a single region – Catalonia, which exports more than 70% of production. The biggest customer is China, while the main European destinations are France, Italy, Romania, Czech Republic and Poland.

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The Catalan livestock sector is a leading sector at European level and a mainstay of the economy of our regions. It’s a whole economic model with an entirely associated meat industry, retail, tourism and gastronomic sectors.

The hunger for Catalan pork, which has driven Spanish pork production for decades, shows no signs of stopping.

Catalonia’s pork production is more than double that of its closest competitor, the neighbouring region of Aragón – though the gap has narrowed.