Danish Crown said its half-year performance was “as expected” even as African swine fever in Spain disrupted supplies and weighed on net earnings.
The Denmark-headquartered firm’s operating profit (EBIT) more than halved to DKr631m ($97.9m) from DKr1.33bn in the corresponding six months
Adjusted for what Danish Crown said was a revised quotation policy that channels more funds to farmers, EBIT stood at DKr736m. The meat cooperative issued a statement today (22 May) attributing the downturn to a “challenging” pork market, driven by African swine fever outbreaks in Spain and broader “supply pressure” across Europe. An EFSA report released on 21 May showed African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks surging across the EU in 2025, rising 76% in domestic pigs and 44% in wild boar compared to the previous year.
The disease returned to Spain after 31 years, bringing the number of affected member states to 14, as per the report. Danish Crown’s revenue declined 2.6% to DKr31.6bn, reflecting lower slaughter volumes and weaker average sales prices amid heavy pressure in the European fresh meat market, partly due to increased supply linked to Chinese tariffs. Despite the headwinds, Danish Crown outlined it “narrowed” the competitiveness gap with Germany on the pig side by DKr468m.