February 6, 2010

Russia to continue reducing meat imports

As part of the new food security policy recently approved by the government, Russia will continue to reduce meat imports in the coming years.

The policy states that the share of locally produced meat on the domestic market must be at least 85% in the coming years. Russia also wants to grow its meat export industry.
 

Further restrictions on meat imports as well as using of other appropriate "protective" measures against imports will be considered as the main means for achieving these goals. In addition, Russia will ban imports of meat products containing GM ingredients.

Some local experts, however, are skeptical on the workability of the government's ambitious plans.

Sergey Yushin, Head of executive committee of National Meat Association, said Russia currently lacks large companies which specialise in pork and beef production, so local meat processing plants have to buy imported meat.
 

The President of the Russian Meat Union, Musheg Mamikonyan, said in order to increase the share of the domestic meat in the Russian market up to 85%, the Russian government will have to create large meat import barriers and to provide guarantees for the domestic producers to obtain long-term loans, no less than 10-15 years.

Russian poultry production increased 14.9% from 2008 to 2.37 million tonnes in 2009, representing about 72% of total domestic meat production during the year.

Measures implemented by the Russian government to support the meat industry resulted in the large increase in poultry production last year, said Russia's Federal Statistics Service.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia should continue to open new livestock farms. Data from Russia's Federal Customs Service shows a 19.8% year-on-year decline to US$145 million in Russian poultry imports in December.