April 25, 2007

Hungary buys Polish pigs banned by Russia

As Moscow continues to ban meat from Poland, Hungary comes in the way by importing Polish live hogs which Russia has barred, the Hungary's Meat Association said on Tuesday (April 24).

Hungary's stock of pigs has been dwindling for years due to loss of some of its own markets in the former Soviet Union, a key buyer during communism, and increased competition after Hungary's entry to the European Union in 2004, Attila Berczik, the association's secretary said.

Hungary imported around 500,000 from Poland last year to augment the country's domestic stock of around 4 million pigs.

The country's large grain surplus has the government encourage animal breeding but was unsuccessful.

Berczik said the number of pigs should be raised to 5.5 million.