December 14, 2011

Romania's 2012 pork exports estimated at 20,000 tonnes

Romania's pork meat exports are estimated at 20,000 tonnes (in carcass weight) for 2012, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR).

In 2010, the pork production was about 553,000 tonnes live and, in the first 10 months of 2011, operational data indicate a production of about 365,000 tonnes live. As concerns the import of pork to Romania, it stood at about 200,000 tonnes of pork in 2010, and in the first eight months of 2011 the imported quantity was 106,000 tonnes of pork.

For the first time since joining the EU, Romania is authorised to sell and export pork on the intra-Community market and in third countries. The decision was taken in the meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, held Brussels on December 6, 2011.

'This success is due to the efforts made for over a year, and this acceptance, which must be preserved by all sanitary-veterinary security measures, certifies that, in the near future, an increasing number of pig farms will benefit from this measure, the same as pork processing units. Resumption of exports means the re-launch of this sector with beneficial effects on development and valuing the cereal production and technical plants crops', said Minister Valeriu Tabara.

The secure intra-Community trade channel involves establishing a network of farms, slaughterhouses and reliable units that meet all requirements of bio-security and traceability, from where pork meat can be sold on the European and extra-European markets.