Türkiye's chicken meat production declined sharply in May, while hen egg production continued to rise, according to data released on Tuesday by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

TurkStat reported that chicken meat production totaled 202,336 tonnes in May, while hen egg production reached 1.857 billion units.

Compared with the same month last year, hen egg production increased by 21.6%, reflecting continued growth in the poultry sector's egg segment.

However, poultry meat production weakened during the same period. The number of chickens slaughtered fell by 16.8%, while chicken meat production declined by 16.3% year-on-year.

Data covering the January-May period also showed mixed performance across the industry.

During the first five months of the year, hen egg production rose 18.1% compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.

In contrast, the number of slaughtered chickens declined 1.1%, while chicken meat production decreased 2.2% over the same period.

On a monthly basis, chicken meat production also registered a notable decline.

Production fell from 236,310 tonnes in April to 202,336 tonnes in May, representing a 14.4% decrease.

Hen egg production, meanwhile, continued its upward trend.

Output increased from 1.845 billion eggs in April to 1.857 billion eggs in May, marking a 0.7% monthly increase.

The latest figures indicate diverging trends within Türkiye's poultry industry, with egg production maintaining steady growth while chicken meat production continues to face downward pressure both on a monthly and annual basis. (ILKHA)