May 8, 2009
Russian cattle herd continues to fall
Cattle numbers in Russia have been on a downward trend in recent years as herds in March 2009 numbers fell again to 21.8 million head, a 2.1 percent year-on-year fall, according to figures from the Russian National Statistics Office.
Meanwhile, pig numbers increased 4.1 percent to 17.1 million over the past year.
Despite the disparity in cattle and pig number trends, the government data shows total meat production during the first quarter of 2009 reached 2.1 million tonnes hundredweight (cwt), an 11.4 percent rise on 2008. The government has invested heavily in the meat industry, with the aim of achieving self sufficiency.
