The cured ham sector exported 60,846 tons in 2024
Meanwhile, the average price per kilo of ham has increased by 9.92% during this period, reaching €12.07 compared to 2023, when it was €10.98/kg. In the European Union , it stood at €11.20 compared to €14.02 in third countries, representing increases of 10.55% and 6.24%, respectively.
This increase in the average price in third countries is explained by less competition, the tendency to work with intermediaries, and higher shipping costs.
Álvaro Díaz de Liaño, Marketing and Promotion Director of the Spanish Serrano Ham Consortium, highlights that, “thanks to the intense dissemination work and the firm commitment to the export of high-quality products, the sector has managed to exceed the good results obtained in 2023 , especially in value . Although the challenges facing the sector are significant, we highlight the good results in terms of the progress of Spanish Serrano ham in third countries, where for yet another year, we have also continued to increase the presence of "ConsorcioSerrano” ham".
Overall, European Union countries imported a total of 42,428.39 tons during this year, a 1.82% decrease; while third countries recorded a volume of 18,417.31 tons, a 10.78% increase. Thus, during 2024, the European Union accounted for 69.73% of cured ham exports, while third countries accounted for 30.27%.
Main markets
Within the European Union, the main reference markets for cured ham have continued to be countries such as France, with a volume amounting to 12,202.54 tonnes, followed by Germany, with a volume of 11,534.75 tonnes.
However, while it is true that, after many years of Serrano ham's presence there, a certain oversupply and signs of exhaustion are estimated, that is, they are experiencing little or no growth, and if they do, it is based on the decline in final prices and, therefore, in exporters' profit margins.
In terms of value, the markets that have seen the greatest growth in cured ham imports are Austria, by 28.86%; Portugal, by 14.58%; and Denmark, by 11.10% —markets of lesser commercial importance in terms of volume.
On the other hand, the third countries that have seen the most significant growth in terms of value have been Mexico, with 62.1%; the United States, with 31.37%; and Colombia, with 23.78%. It is worth noting that these North and Central American markets are precisely where the sector's total volume growth is rooted, as the European Union, Asia, and Oceania have all experienced declines.
The United Kingdom, for its part, is the market with the highest prices at €17.25/kg, an 8.23% increase compared to the previous year; followed by Switzerland at €16.51/kg.
In terms of formats, 16.47% of the pieces exported during this period were bone-in , which led to a 9.02% decrease in volume and a 0.23% decrease in value. Chile and Colombia are the two countries that have recorded the greatest growth in the average price of this format.
Boneless ham, for its part, accounted for 82.22% of total exports in 2024, equivalent to a 4.51% increase in volume and a 14.36% increase in value.
On the other hand, the remaining 1.31% corresponds to bone-in shoulder exports , which represent a small commercial significance, with a total value of €9,402,839.33 and a total volume of 789.37 tons. Specifically, the most important destination markets for this format are France and the United States.
However, the boneless format has experienced an increase in both value and volume, of 14.36% and 4.51% respectively, in addition to 9.43% in terms of average price.
In short, and as explained by the Spanish Serrano Ham Consortium, the 2024 results were expected, as exporting companies adjusted their tariffs at the end of 2023, leading them to face the past year with a slight price increase, which the market ultimately reflected. This is due to various reasons, the main one being that Serrano ham exported during the two-year period 2022-2023 suffered the highest costs in terms of raw materials and other aspects that producers have been forced to pass on.
On the other hand, the CJSE estimates that data corresponding to Iberian ham exports are growing year on year, especially in absolute value, estimating that its exports represent between 4 and 4.5% of the total in terms of volume, as well as between 12 and 13% in terms of value. In other words, it is estimated that around 2,600 and 2,700 tons are exported , equivalent to a turnover of around €90 to €95 million, not including the export of Iberian cured meats.
In conclusion, the Spanish Serrano Ham Consortium maintains high hopes for 2025, a year in which they expect the 2024 trend in terms of volume to improve and the value trend to continue, while improving, as far as possible, average retail prices to the consumer. "We must continue to focus on consolidating strategic markets and promoting quality Serrano ham to ensure long-term, sustainable growth. To achieve this, profitability is a key factor", concludes Álvaro Díaz de Liaño, Marketing and Promotion Director of the Spanish Serrano Ham Consortium.
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