Turkey’s chicken meat output fell 16.3 percent in May

Turkey’s chicken meat production fell 16.3 percent in May from a year earlier, while egg production rose 21.6 percent, data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) showed Tuesday.

Producers supplied 202,336 metric tons of chicken meat during the month, down 14.4 percent from April. The number of chickens slaughtered fell 16.8 percent year on year to 108.1 million.

Egg production reached 1.86 billion, an increase of 0.7 percent from the previous month.

The May decline was less pronounced when measured over a longer period. Chicken meat production fell 2.2 percent in the first five months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, while the number of chickens slaughtered declined 1.1 percent. Egg production rose 18.1 percent.

The figures cover the month before İstanbul prosecutors launched an investigation into alleged price manipulation and anti-competitive conduct involving much of Turkey’s poultry industry.

Authorities on June 12 issued detention warrants for 32 executives and employees and placed 13 poultry producers, including Banvit, Şenpiliç, Lezita and Keskinoğlu, under the supervision of court-appointed trustees.

Courts had removed the trustee measures from all 13 companies by June 19, returning control to their existing management. The criminal investigation remains pending.