World meat industry news

In January-August of this year, Russia exported more than 5.5 million tons of agricultural products to China, which is 2.7 times more than in the same period last year, Interfax writes with reference to the Agroexport center under the Ministry of Agriculture. In value terms, supplies increased 1.9 times, which allowed China to become a leader among buyers of Russian agricultural products. According to Agroexport, by 2030 Russian exports of agricultural products to China could exceed $10 billion.

As Agroexport told the news agency, the increase in supplies was primarily due to oil and fat products. At the end of eight months of this year, China became its largest importer with a share of 31.2%. Including rapeseed oil shipments increased 3.2 times in volume terms, to 1 million tons, and 2.1 times in value terms. Exports of sunflower oil increased respectively by 8.9 times to 615 thousand tons and 5.7 times. In addition, 82 thousand tons of soybean oil were sent to China, which is 1.9 times more than in January-August 2022, and 266 thousand tons of meal and cake (also an increase of almost 1.9 times).

China has also risen to first place among buyers of Russian fish and seafood. In particular, supplies of frozen fish in volume terms increased 1.8 times to 629 thousand tons, in value terms by 37%. Almost two-thirds of the revenue came from frozen pollock, 12% from cod, and 10% from herring. Exports of crustaceans increased almost 1.7 times to 20 thousand tons.

In addition, active supplies of dried peas to China began this year. In October 2022, a protocol on phytosanitary requirements for it was signed with the Chinese side, and according to the results of January-August, 290 thousand tons were sent to the Chinese market.

Among the most promising categories for increasing supplies are fish and seafood, grain crops, meat products and vegetable oils, Agroexport believes. At the same time, the main limiting factor is logistics issues, including existing restrictions on railway capacity, high tariffs for transporting goods through Kazakhstan and restrictions on shipping in the Black Sea.

The capacity of cargo supplies to China will grow, said Borislav Shcherbakov, head of the cargo containerization projects department at Russian Railways Business Asset, during the round table “Chinese market and Russian food products: analysis of consumer preferences and trends for effective export.” According to him, the main shipments of goods from our country to the PRC are carried out through the Russian border crossings of Zabaikalsk (Zabaykalsky Territory), Grodekovo (Primorsky Territory), and the recently opened export border crossing at the Mikhailo-Semenovskaya station near Khabarovsk. Products are also sent through the Dostyk border crossings in Kazakhstan and Zamyn-Ud in Mongolia.

The Zabaikalsk border crossing is quite loaded with all types of transport, however, Shcherbakov drew attention, terminals are being built there, it is being expanded significantly and after some time will increase the throughput capacity several times. Grodekovo is also a fairly convenient border crossing, although, according to a representative of Russian Railways Business Asset, its capacity is much less than that of Zabaikalsk. The speed of shipments through Dostyk is affected by the traffic congestion in Kazakhstan. But Zamyn-Ud in Mongolia, as a rule, is not very busy, and accordingly the transit period for crossing through it is not very long.

The Kamyshovoe border crossing is in the process of development; mainly road transport now passes through it. “Railway transportation through it is not very developed, however, it can be used as an alternative,” Shcherbakov noted. The border crossing at Mikhailo-Semenovskaya station is quite well located for shipments to China - 560 km from Blagoveshchensk, which is convenient for exporters located in that region. The Grushki border crossing for the supply of agricultural products - pulp, meal and grain - is also being agreed upon. Shcherbakov believes that this border crossing by the end of the year is the future. “We are now actively checking this transition, we are already launching up to five trains there per month and plan to increase the number of trains to ten in October,” he noted.

Agricultural producers also plan to increase transshipment capacity, albeit for water transport. Amuragrocenter ships its products to China, including through its own river port of Poyarkov by bulk vessels. Transshipment capacity is now about 2 thousand tons per day. At the same time, the company plans to increase daily volumes to 3-4 thousand tons, Deputy General Director of the holding Sergei Emelyanov shared his plans.