Analyzing meat production dynamics and future prospects in Republic of North Macedonia

This study examines the current state and future perspectives of meat production in Republic of North Macedonia. The authors analyzed the volume of meat production (tons) by type (beef, pork, poultry, etc.), exploring production levels and market share for each type. Market capacity is assessed using time series data on domestic production and import volumes (disaggregated by meat type and total). Trends over time are investigated through chain and base index calculations. Finally, the triple exponential smoothing method implemented in Excel software is employed to forecast future meat production trends in North Macedonia. Pork meat production increases in total meat production from around 35% in the period 2000–2010, up to the record levels of over 63% in 2020 and 2021. This suggests pork became the dominant meat in North Macedonia during this period. The share of beef meet production decreases from 23.6% in 2001, to 16.5%-18.5% in the last three years. Share of sheep meat production had an increase in the first decade of analyzed period reaching nearly 29.4% in 2011, but has decreased on around 13.5% -16.7% in the last decade. The share of poultry meat production in the analyzed period has decreased from 11.2% in 2004, up to 8.1% in 2022. Additionally, the forecasts will offer valuable information for stakeholders regarding potential future directions and growth prospects within the industry.