Meat exports and imports in Russia

Export and import of sausage products in Russia

• Production, export and import of sausage products in Russia

Beef (Russian market)

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Animal husbandry in Russia

• Animal husbandry in Russia

Meat (Russian market)

Main article: Meat (Russian market)

Russia's Foreign Trade

• Russia's Foreign Trade

Chronicle

2023

Record volume of livestock exports - more than 1 million tons

In 2023, Russia exported a record volume of livestock products - more than 1 million tons. Such data in early May 2024 were cited by the head of the National Meat Association Sergei Yushin.

According to him, the supply of Russian livestock products, including live animals and non-food products, abroad in 2023 reached $2 billion.

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Sergei Yushin noted that Russian meat products are popular on the world market, but by 2023 the Russian Federation occupied a "relatively modest place" in the global meat trade. Speaking about the import of meat products, the head of the National Meat Association noted that Russia is a country that provides itself with meat by more than 100% and is a country of net exporter of meat and meat products. Yushin also drew attention to the expansion of the geography of supplies of Russian meat products.

Russia has the right to supply to almost 100 countries. We regularly supply somewhere in 60 countries, in different years - up to 70 countries, - said the expert (quoted by TASS).

He also cited statistics according to which in 2023 Russia delivered over 200 thousand tons abroad, beef - about 300 thousand tons, while pork imports decreased to almost zero. The share of imports in consumption is 4.3%, said the head of the National Meat Association.

According to the Rosselkhoznadzor, in 2023, 16 countries opened their markets for importing 47 types of livestock products from Russia. The growth in supplies is due to the interest of the EAEU and CIS countries (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan), Asia (China, Vietnam, Mongolia), the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE) and Africa (Benin, Cote d'Ivoire), the Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement.^[1]

Belarus accounted for 50% of meat imports to Russia in a year

In 2023, 586 thousand tons of meat were imported to Russia, of which half of the volume was in Belarus. The head of the Rosselkhoznadzor Sergei Dankvert announced this at the end of March 2024.

Imports in meat of all types account for almost 50 percent of Belarus - the Union State, - he explained at a meeting of the Rosselkhoznadzor board (quoted by TASS).

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The main category of products supplied to the Russian market was poultry and offal, which accounted for 232 thousand tons of imports in 2023. In second place was beef (201 thousand tons). It is also reported that pork supplies to the Russian Federation at the end of 2023 reached 1.4 thousand tons.

At the same time, you see that since 2015, when exports started - and poultry, and pork, and beef - it's already significant, "Dankvert said.

As for the supply of Russian meat, in 2023 the Russian Federation exported 649 thousand tons of these products, including 309 thousand tons of meat and poultry by-products in slaughter weight, 158 thousand tons of pork and 31 thousand tons of beef.

Meat production in Russia in 2023 reached 11.7 million tons. In this volume, 5.3 million tons - poultry meat, 4.8 million - pork meat, 1.7 million - beef meat, according to data from the Rosselkhoznadzor.

The regions of the Central District produce more than half (57% in 2023) of the all-Russian output of this type of meat, and in 2023 the growth rate remained (+ 9.1%; + 195 thousand tons). Positive results were also recorded in the Volga region (+ 9.8%; + 58 thousand tons), in the Far East (+ 9.4%; + 8 thousand tons) and in the South (+ 0.6%; + 1.1 thousand tons).

Negative dynamics in 2023 took place in the North Caucasus (-0.7%; -0.3 thousand tons), in the North-West (-0.8%; -2.3 thousand tons), in the Urals (-4.1%; -8.0 thousand tons), pork production in Siberia decreased markedly (-4.8%; -14.1 thousand tons).^[2]

Russian pork exports updated the record - 255 thousand tons (+ 66 %)

The export of Russian pork in 2023 updated the record - its volume reached 255 thousand tons, an increase of 66% compared to 2022. This is evidenced by the data (published in mid-January 2024) of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Agroexport" under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.

In 2023, Russia delivered pork and pork offal to foreign markets for an amount that is 55% higher than a year ago. At the same time, the absolute indicator of export revenue is not called.

Russian pork exports update record in 2023

The message of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Agroexport" specifies that the import of Russian pork Vietnam is growing. So, in 2023, shipments to this country increased in value terms by 88% compared to 2021, and in physical terms - by 89%, exceeding 86 thousand tons. More than 54% of this volume came from frozen meat of pigs, 46% were offal.

Another key buyer is Belarus: this country in 2023 increased purchases by 15%, to 83 thousand. The main share (59%) fell on fresh and chilled pork, 25% - pig meat ice cream, 16% - offal. The top 5 importers of Russian pork also include Serbia (9.6 thousand tons, 2.7 times), Mongolia (9.2 thousand tons, plus 38%) and Hong Kong (6.9 thousand tons, plus 58%).

Russia has begun to actively develop pork exports since 2020, and reaching such volumes suggests that our companies have sufficiently studied foreign markets, have mastered and feel confident on them, and have also been able to overcome the technological and logistical problems that arose under the conditions of sanctions, - said the Director General of the National Union of Pig Farmers Yuri Kovalev (quoted by the press service of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Agroexport").

He added that in 2023, the export of live pigs increased significantly, primarily to neighboring countries.^[3]

10-fold increase in lamb exports to more than 10 thousand tons

In 2023, Russia supplied more than 10 thousand tons of lamb abroad, which is 10 times more than a year earlier, when the export volume was less than 1 thousand tons. Such data in mid-January 2024 were provided by the Agroexport center under the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to Interfax, citing materials from Agroexport, Iran is in first place in the ranking of importing countries of Russian lamb in 2023, the second and third positions are occupied by the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan.

Russia delivered more than 10 thousand tons of lamb abroad

By the end of 2023, 25 Russian companies had the right to supply small and cattle meat to Iran. Among them are Khavsn LLC from Kalmykia and a meat processing plant owned by Damate Group of Companies in Karachay-Cherkessia.

Damate Group of Companies, which is implementing a large project for the production and processing of lamb in the North Caucasus, began exporting this meat in the spring of 2023 with the supply of chilled products to the UAE. In November, shipments to Iran started. The volume of the first batches exceeded 350 tons.

The company sends cooled carcasses to Iran, a monthly supply regime is provided. To do this, an agreement was concluded with Gostareh Toseegari Pardis, which has the largest state quota and permission to import meat into Iran from different countries. The Damat Group of Companies notes that the Iranian market is of great interest to the Russian sheep industry. This direction may become significant for the supply of Russian meat, the company added.

According Rosstat to estimates, as of the end of October 2023, the number of sheep and goats in farms of all categories was 21.4 million heads (1.6% less than a year earlier). In the structure of livestock, households accounted for 44.7% of sheep and goats (at the end of October 2022 - 45.1%).^[4]

China lifted restrictions on pork supplies from Russia after 15 years

The Main Customs Administration (GTU) of the PRC has lifted 15-year restrictions on pork imports from Russia. This was announced on September 28, 2023 by the press service of the Rosselkhoznadzor. As noted in the department, such a decision was made based on the results of a risk assessment and an analysis of the state control system of African swine fever (ASF) in the Russian Federation. Read more here.

2022

Export of a record 650 thousand tons of meat products

Russia in 2022 supplied 650 thousand tons of meat products to 140 countries of the world. The head of the Rosselkhoznadzor Sergei Dankvert said this at a meeting with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on March 4, 2023.

We can already say that Russia is the largest food producer. Today we are large grain exporters, large meat exporters, "Dankvert said.

As noted in the Rosselkhoznadzor, in 2022, the right to access 39 countries in 32 types of livestock products was obtained, including dairy products to Qatar, dairy products and cattle skins to Thailand, fish and fish products in the UAE, fish, finished meat and dairy products in Nigeria, fodder products to Myanmar, additional types of poultry offal to China, etc. 42 veterinary certificates agreed with 15 countries.

According to the ministry, the export of meat products from Russia increased by 13%. In particular, beef was exported to 24 countries, exports increased by 9%, to 33.5 thousand tons. Pork was supplied to 14 countries, export growth amounted to 18%, to 145.9 thousand tons. Lamb was exported to three countries, supplies increased fivefold, to 913 tons. Finished meat products were exported to 23 countries, the supply growth was 4%, up to 76.4 thousand tons.

Growth drivers, according to Rosselkhoznadzor, are such countries - buyers of Russian products as,,,, United Vietnam China Iran Saudi Arabia Arab Emirates,. Republic of Belarus The agency also notes an increase in exports to foreign countries of slaughter small cattle by 28% (including in,). Jordan Lebanon Deliveries of Russian intestinal raw materials, feed for unproductive animals (), Morocco artemy cysts (,,) have also begun to new markets, the Mexico Ecuador Thailand Rosselkhoznadzor added. Russia in 2022^[5]

Increase in annual poultry exports by 16%

In 2022 Russia , she delivered 16% more poultry meat abroad (in physical terms) than in 2021. In money, exports grew by 51%. On March 6, 2023, he announced this dynamics Agroexport"," without specifying the absolute indicators. It is only indicated that the Russian Federation in 2022 exported more than 26 thousand tons of turkey meat (+ 19% by 2021).

Despite the restrictions imposed, the industry has shown a significant increase in export supplies of poultry meat in both monetary and physical terms, said Sergey Lakhtyukhov, Director General of the National Union of Poultry Farmers, to Agroexport.

Exports of poultry meat from Russia increased by 16%

This indicates significant accumulated competencies and the ability to solve the most difficult problems posed by a dynamically changing external environment, she added.

The top three countries in terms of the value of imports of Russian poultry meat in 2022 did not change. As a year earlier, China retained the position of the largest buyer, which accounted for 39% of the total physical volume of Russian exports of poultry meat in 2022 (in 2021 - 41%). According to the results of 2022, 139 thousand tons of poultry meat from Russia were delivered to the PRC, which is 11% more than in 2021. In monetary terms, the growth of the indicator was 53%.

The second buyer of Russian poultry meat in 2022 is Saudi Arabia, which increased the physical volume of purchases by 59%, and the value - by 85%. Also in the top 3 importers is Kazakhstan with dynamics of + 42% and + 55%, respectively. In addition, meat shipments have more than tripled to the UAE, more than doubled to Belarus, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Ghana and Angola.

In the structure of poultry exports, more than 90% (data for 2022) are still domestic chickens, while supplies and products of other species of birds are developing, according to a study by Agroexport^[6]

2021 Meat imports to Russia fell by 17.2%

In 2021, 223 thousand tons of fresh and ice cream meat were imported to Russia, which is 17.2% less than a year earlier. Such data were published on February 7, 2022 by the Federal Customs Service (FCS) of the Russian Federation.

The volume of meat imports to Russia from abroad in monetary terms at the end of 2021 fell by 6.3% and amounted to $893 million. Imports of fresh and ice cream poultry meat in 2021 increased by 5.8% compared to the previous year and reached 242.2 thousand tons, while in dollars the figure increased by 28.6% - to $411.6 million.

Meat imports to Russia in 2021 decreased by 17.2%

Imports of fresh and frozen fish at the end of 2021 increased by 9.9% in physical terms - to 433.6 thousand tons, and in value terms the growth was 18.8%, to $1.33 billion.

One of the reasons for the reduction in meat imports is the import substitution program for these products. Since 2014, when this program was launched, by 2020, meat imports have decreased by about 65%, which corresponds to the plans of the authorities.

We export more than we import. Our dependence on imports has decreased and is within the limits characteristic of civilized countries, which are both exporters and importers of food, - said the head of the Rosselkhoznadzor Sergey Dankvert.

At the same time, many Russian restaurants in 2021 complained about the shortage of meat in the domestic market. The shortage of steaks was led by an increase in the export of marble beef, insufficient competition among local producers and restrictions on imports from abroad, Interfax reports, citing Sergei Mironov, vice president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers (FRiO) of Russia.

According to Mironov, also the owner of the Meat & Fish restaurant chain, the lack of competition in the production of marble beef was not so noticeable until Russia limited the supply of meat from Australia, Argentina and the United States^[7]

2020: Reduction of meat imports to Russia by 30%, to 269.5 thousand tons

The volume of meat imports (except poultry meat) in Russia at the end of 2020 amounted to 269.5 thousand tons, which is 29.8% less than a year earlier. In value terms, the indicator decreased by 27.5%, to $953.6 million. This is evidenced by data from the Federal Customs Service (FCS).

At the same time, imports of poultry meat to the Russian market in 2020 increased by 0.6%, to 228.8 thousand tons. In money, imports decreased by 16.7%, amounting to $320 million.

According to FCS statistics, annual imports of fish (fresh and ice cream) decreased by 11.4%, to 394.4 thousand tons, and in monetary terms - by 10.1%, to $1.121 billion.

Meat imports to the Russian Federation in 2020 decreased by 30%

The head of Rosselkhoznadzor Sergei Dankvert noted that by 2020, meat imports in Russia in recent years have decreased by about 5.8 times. According to Dankert, approximately 230-250 thousand imported meat in 2020 was imported into the Russian Federation from Belarus.

According to the federal center "Agroexport" under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, the export of meat and meat products from Russia in 2020 increased by 55% compared to 2019 and exceeded 500 thousand tons. In monetary terms, shipments increased by 54% to $860 million.

Shipments of poultry meat increased by 41%, to 285 thousand tons in physical terms and by 32%, to $419 million in value. About 85% of this volume fell on parts and offal of chickens ($355 million), 12% - undeveloped carcasses of chickens ($51 million). Turkey meat was exported by $13 million, which is 2.1 times more than in 2019.

Sales of beef abroad increased 2.9 times, to 16 thousand tons in kind and 3.3 times, to $85 million in cash. Three-quarters of the exported volume came from collapsed frozen cattle meat.

China, Vietnam and Ukraine are named the largest buyers of Russian meat. Their shares at the end of 2020 amounted to 37%, 16% and 13%, respectively.^[8][9]

Notes