Poland is now one of Europe’s leading food producers and a global powerhouse in poultry, ranking among the top exporters worldwide. Yet according to Józef Wiśniewski, founder and CEO of Wipasz—one of the largest feed and poultry meat producers in Poland—the sector’s modern processing facilities cannot offset a deeper structural problem: the high cost of primary agricultural production. Industry leaders now want to engage with the government on necessary reforms and new regulations.
“Food production is critical for Poland and the EU”
“Food production in Poland is extremely important for our economy and for the needs of the European Union. We are highly specialized in poultry and dairy. This is crucial in terms of volume, price, quality, and consumer safety. We are a significant European player,”
says Józef Wiśniewski in an interview with Newseria.
Wipasz, founded by Wiśniewski in the 1990s, produces over 1 million tonnes of feed annually and is among the country’s top poultry meat manufacturers.
A global poultry powerhouse
Poland is the third-largest poultry exporter in the world and the largest in the European Union. Only Brazil and the United States surpass it in global rankings, according to a Strategy& Poland report (PwC).
Key figures:
- 2024 production: over 3.5 million tonnes of poultry
- 2024 exports: more than 2 million tonnes
- Jan–Sept 2025 exports: already over 1.7 million tonnes
- Value of 2025 exports (first 9 months):
- €4.9 billion, or approx. PLN 20.7 billion
- Poultry accounts for 51% of the total value of Polish meat exports
Despite this strong export performance, Wiśniewski warns that the foundations of Polish agriculture are too weak to sustain long-term competitiveness.
“Primary production is our greatest weakness”
“What weakens Polish food producers most is primary production — the cost of producing raw materials. We operate on an outdated base. We have failed to build a more competitive primary agricultural sector,”
says Wiśniewski.
He points especially to grain, vegetables, milk, and livestock production.
According to him, the situation results from years of political indecision and the absence of long-term strategy.
“The system is outdated due to political blocking and lack of vision. The sector urgently needs regulatory reforms and a permanent dialogue platform where producers can voice their needs and the government can implement quick changes. Time has essentially run out,”
he emphasizes.
Modern processing, outdated raw materials
Poland’s competitive advantages lie at the end of the value chain — in food processing. Factories are modern, built with new technologies, and well aligned with consumer trends.
However, the raw materials entering these plants are too costly.
“What we put into these factories is produced using old technologies. The costs are too high because farms in Poland are too small. The smaller the farm, the higher the production cost. And all inputs — including wages — are rising. That is why we are becoming less competitive in Europe,”
says Wiśniewski.
Specialization in premium foods is the only way forward
He argues that future competitiveness for Polish producers will not come from price but from high-quality, premium products.
In the economic segment, competition from Ukraine and, following the Mercosur agreement, South America, is increasing rapidly—making price competition nearly impossible.
“We must move toward premium foods — better, healthier products for consumers. We need to eliminate antibiotics in animal farming, and in crop production reduce the use of chemicals. This is the direction we must take,”
concludes the Wipasz CEO.
