October 8, 2014

Russia finalising plan to import 4,000 tonnes of Thai pork a month

Russia is close to importing 4,000 tonnes of pork a month from Thailand, according to Mr. Surachai Sutthitham, president  of the Swine Raisers Association of Thailand.

He told eFeedLink that a Russian team visited Bangkok between October 2 and 5, 2014, to check some of the country's pig farms and slaughterhouses to make sure their operations are in accordance with Russia's food safety standards.

A final assessment based on the team's findings will be made in Moscow. After which, Mr. Surachai said, Russia is expected to make its first monthly order of about 4,000 tonnes.

The team, he added, visited a pig processing plant in Bangkhla in Chachoengsao, Thailand's number one swine-producing province.

To fulfill a monthly order of 4,000 tonnes of pork, Thailand would need to slaughter 80,000 pigs a month, Mr. Surachai said.

He added that since the expected order involves a huge volume, Charoen Pokphand Foods, Thailand's number one food conglomerate, will serve as lead exporter in the deal. Other local pig producers are also taking part in the export deal.

Since August, when it imposed an embargo on food exports from the US, the EU and its other allies, Russia has been looking for alternative sources for its meat, fish, poultry, fruit and vegetable requirements.

Moscow's one-year food-import ban is in retalation for the West's economic sanctions over Russia's role in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict.

If the deal pushes through, it will be Thailand's first raw pork export to Russia.

The Southeast Asian country is a major global meat supplierr, with poultry, shrimp and tuna among its leading exports.