July 16, 2009
Russian meat exports to EU seen within next few years
Russian Ministry of Agriculture (Minselkhoz) believes that in 5-8 years, the domestic meat producers can start exporting Russian meat to Europe and other countries.
Minselkhoz deputy minister Alexander Petrikov said negotiations are still underway with the European Commission on the admission of Russian grain to the European markets.
Petrikov said export prospects would be products such as marble beef from Kalmykiya, pork and poultry produced under the ecologically clean conditions.
However, he confessed that the negotiations on the Russia's admission to the European markets are proceeding with difficulty.
At the same time, he noted that Russia has started signing separate food supply contracts to the countries outside the former Soviet Union, as part of the big world agricultural exhibitions.
Since 2003, the Russian government has been using a system of the customs and tariffs barriers for meat imports to the Russian Federation to protect domestic meat producers.
These measures have had a great impact on stimulating the domestic production of poultry and pork.
