Market research aggregator, Global Information Inc., headquartered in Japan with offices in Korea, Thailand, Belgium and the United States showed the global duck market hit $1.9 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $2.3 billion by 2030 growing with a CAGR of 2.9% during the forecast period 2023-2030 in its “Global Duck Meat Market, 2023-2030” report.

As consumer tastes and preferences evolve, the global duck market has seen an increase in interest in unique and high-quality food experiences. This presents an opportunity in the duck market and brings with it a rise in demand for specialty and gourmet duck products. Another opportunity for duck producers and processors, especially in the United States, is the health and well-being movement. In addition to being unique and borderline exotic, duck’s nutritional profile appeals to those looking for new foods while maintaining the necessary degree of health benefits.

Positive outlook

Hamburg, Pa.-based Joe Jurgielewicz & Son LTD (JJS Duck) operates a 30,000-square-foot duck slaughter facility, operates a breeder program and still runs a handful of family-owned farms. The company’s outlook for itself in 2024, and the industry in America, is positive as well.

“We’re very positive and in our industry, especially in our business, we are actually working on the forecasting right now, and we’re going to be close to 10% up again over last year,” said Joey Jurgielewicz III, head of business development.

Jurgielewicz said he believes the main factor in that rise is consumers’ disposable income. Not necessarily that they have higher disposable incomes, but more a matter of how they will choose to spend that extra money.

“I’d say that a lot of people are looking at going out to eat at a fine dining restaurant, or eat maybe a step down, as equally entertaining as going to a movie or to a professional sports game,” he said. “You could have equal pricing, but it’s not just eating for substance, they’re going out for the entertainment, the enjoyment, the hospitality, the camaraderie of being with their peers.”

He added, “I’d say retail will stay consistent. We haven’t done any huge pushes marketing wise to address that, but I think that we’ll definitely see that growth in foodservice.”

JJS saw a trend emerge during the COVID-19 pandemic in which people became more adventurous with food. Jurgielewicz said that adventurous nature has stuck around, and many people have added those foods they tried, including duck, to their regular choices at home and in foodservice.

“I don’t want to say they’ve added it to their weekly diet, but it could be a monthly or quarterly choice, which for us in such a small industry is huge,” he said.

Jurgielewicz did not put a number on the industry’s growth or speak for other companies, but said he believed the industry as a whole would definitely expand in 2025.

The duck market remains a specialty market, JJS tries to make itself a niche within that niche market. However, Jurgielewicz will sometimes use available information within the poultry markets to extrapolate trends into the markets where JJS competes.

“We just try to be a little more specialized than a lot of our competitors. So, we definitely don’t follow any commodity trends, but we do know that if say chicken is down, say in foodservice because of a poor economy, we will probably be down a little bit, but we’re not going to follow those trends percent by percent.”

Duck tongueDuck tongue is a delicacy for consumers in some markets. JJS partnered with an equipment manufacturer on a machine to clean and remove skin from tongues. (Source: Sosland Publishing Co. / Bob Sims)




Driving duck trends

The steady rise in the popularity of Asian cuisine over the years has not slowed down, not only in America, but globally as well, and has given the duck segment a boost in recent years. A 2023 research analysis from Washington, DC-based fact tank, Pew Research Center showed 12% of all restaurants in the United States serve Asian food. Of those restaurants 39% serve mainly Chinese food of which duck is a staple menu item. The Asian foodservice market represents the largest part of JJS’ business.

In addition, many non-Asian themed restaurants have begun to add Asian dishes to their menus in order to capitalize on the growing trend.

“A lot of our business is in Asian cuisine and sends our products to Asian restaurants,” Jurgielewicz said. “So a lot of people are adding a crispy duck or a peking, or something of that style to their menu.”

JJS is currently in talks with an Asian themed restaurant that is a feature dining attraction of a large professional sports resort.

“We’re already talking to them about how many ducks are going to go through, and it’s definitely interesting — that focus on Asian flare, and duck as being the main specialty at this type of resort.”

Other interesting deals have closed and are already happening and gaining momentum before the new year.

“I think ski season officially started yesterday or two days ago [Dec. 2024] out in Colorado,” Jurgielewicz said. “So in Vail at one of the resorts there, they’re doing duck carnitas for their outdoor dining, so you can literally ski down the mountain and get a nice little beverage and a duck carnitas taco.”

Jurgielewicz also mentioned the health and well-being trend as a strong driver of duck’s current and future popularity. With seed oils trending down in terms of a healthy diet, Jurgielewicz believes rendered duck fat offers one of the healthiest and natural alternatives.

“And of course, it makes everything taste delicious,” he added.

Meat snacks have also exploded in the overall meat market in recent years due to the healthy diet/protein forward trend among Americans.

“It’s not just beef jerky on the shelf anymore,” Jurgielewicz said. “We’re going to be seeing a lot more different types of protein out there, especially duck. And that’s one of our biggest things is definitely the trend of the cleaner ingredients.”

JJS now offers duck meat sticks in Original, Sweet Heat and à l’Orange flavors. Each 1 oz stick is made with 100% duck and contains 5 grams of protein with zero carbs and zero sugar.

“We also focus on the amount of protein in duck too,” Jurgielewicz said.

The company has also sought trends outside of retail and foodservice and found a market to not only create new value, but also support its own sustainability. A new sister company to JJS, Duck Country Pet Treats, utilizes JJS items that historically were seen as waste or sold at extremely low prices and turns them into a shelf stable, one ingredient, all-natural pet treat.

“We’re doing duck feet, duck necks and duck heads,” Jurgielewicz said. “There’s a big push on that of selling direct online to consumers and just as you see a lot of the food for human consumption trends of clean label, single ingredient, farmed and made in the USA, it’s the exact same thing that’s happening on the on the pet food business too.”

Duck processingWith Asian cuisine continuing to trend up, more restaurants might look to get duck on the menu in 2025. (Source: Sosland Publishing Co. / Bob Sims)



Looking forward to 2025

Because processing duck is significantly different than processing other poultry species, buying equipment off the shelf doesn’t work, so the available automation for JJS is limited, at best. However, JJS has always had a knack for using years of developed skill to adjust and innovate available equipment to do the work it needs. This will continue into the future.

While any regulatory changes with the new president and administration have not been set in motion yet, Jurgielewicz said he thinks the changes to come will include new building permits for plants and expansions, but he’s optimistic about the things to come in the company’s home state of Pennsylvania.

“I know in Pennsylvania that our governor here is definitely driving efficiencies and trying to make sure that businesses want to come to Pennsylvania and stay in Pennsylvania,” Jurgielewicz said. “I think that will definitely be a trend, especially with the new presidential administration.”

As far as changes from the US Department of Agriculture, Jurgielewicz doesn’t see much change, good or bad, in the near future for JJS or the meat and poultry processing industry as a whole.

“Personally, we have a very great working relationship with the USDA,” he said. “I think it’s just simple hospitality and being nice. The better you treat someone, the better they treat you, and you can work together and be productive.”

The final piece of the future for JJS comes in better packaging and merchandising for the retail channel. The priority is packaging that contains simple and easy to execute cooking instructions. On the merchandising side, JJS provides tear open cases.

“It’s like a pre-built display that they can put it into their freezer case, and it’s just there to give a really good story to duck,” Jurgielewicz said. “We are moving forward and have a very optimistic outlook.”