February 16, 2007

Russian delegation advises Chinese pork processors on Moscow's pork market

Russian officials are visiting pork processing facilities in China's Sichuan to find ways that Chinese processors can fulfill pork demand in Moscow. 

Moscow consumes 3,000 tonnes of meat daily; of which one-third is pork.

The delegation, led by Moscow's Head of the Department of Food Resources, Alexander Baburin, visited 40 of Sichuan's processing companies, reviewing food processing procedures practiced at various plants.

Due to bird flu incidents and other swine diseases, Russia has restricted meat import from many countries, including China. As the lifting of the ban would require certification of disease-free status by the World Health Organization, a report from China's Quarantine Department and Russian inspection, it would take a period of time before bans can be fully lifted, he said.

Baburin said he hoped that the process would be expedited on account of the friendly trade relations between the two countries. He added that the delegation would review food safety in Sichuan's meat processors and submit a report to Russia's Quarantine authorities to hasten the process if they pass muster. 

Meat accounts for a significant portion of the Russian diet, with per capita consumption at 84 kg. However, it would not be wise to transport Sichuan's pork directly to Moscow as Russians shun frozen meat, Baburin said. He noted that 90 percent of the pork consumed in Moscow is fresh pork. On account of the distance between Sichuan and Moscow, it would be more ideal if both sides were to base the scope of their co-operation on processed meats.

There are about 10 pork-processing factories in the Moscow region.