World meat industry news

Although last year Russia exported slightly more pork than it imported, this year foreign purchases of pork grew and the country again became a net importer of this type of meat. From January to May 2019, overseas purchases of pork in the Russian Federation (including offal) increased by 50%, to 63.6 thousand tons.

Although exports were also growing, this was not enough to offset the growth of imports. Thus, in the first five months of this year, Russia imported 15.3 thousand tons of pork more than it exported.

The most significantly increased imports from Brazil, which in the first five months of this year reached 26.3 thousand tons. Russia imposed an embargo on the purchase of pork in Brazil from December 2017 to October 2018. The ban was introduced after traces of rectopamine, a feed additive permitted in Brazil but prohibited in Russia, were discovered in meat.

The Russian Federation also increased imports from Chile and Argentina- deliveries from these countries for 5 months amounted to 15.2 thousand and 5.8 thousand tons, respectively. However, supplies from Belarus fell by more than 4 thousand tons.