World meat industry news

At the end of 2021, Russia exports of sausage products increased by value up to 36%, according to the report compiled by the Federal Center for the Promotion of Agricultural Exports of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia (FGBU "Agroexport").

From January 1 to December 26, 2021, the Russian manufacturers exported over $109 million worth of sausage products. In comparison to 2020, export volumes increased by 27% totaling 48 thousand tons.

Last year, the exporting countries managed to significantly expand sales of Russian sausages. Russian sausages were shipped to 47 countries. The success was mainly due to new export markets, especially in Africa.

“For instance, 86 tons were shipped to Benin, 39 tons were shipped to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 25 tons were shipped to Liberia, 6 tons were shipped to Ghana, 5 tons each were shipped to the Republic of the Congo and Guinea, 3 tons each were shipped to Angola and Gabon,” says the report.

Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Abkhazia and Kyrgyzstan remain the largest destinations for the Russian sausage imports.

By the end of October 2021, supplies to Kazakhstan grew by 23%, amounting to a total of 33 thousand tons. Sausage exports to Kazakhstan increased by 30% in value to about $67 million.

Russian sausage exports to Ukraine during this period rose 36% in volume totaling 7.8 thousand tons and, importantly, 52% in value, worth $21 million to the sector. Over 10 months of 2021, Azerbaijan imported 4.2 thousand tons of Russian sausages to a total of $10 million. Import volumes increased by 20%.

Vietnam, Mongolia and Japan also significantly increased import volumes of Russian sausages.

The Executive Director of the National Meat Processors Union Ekaterina Luchkina believes that the Russian export growth of sausages is due to the coronavirus restrictions. As cafes and restaurants closed their doors, the demand for sausages grew due to the consumer intent to save time on cooking. Increased export demand is expected in the neighboring countries, she says. This is because these countries have the same historical background with Russia, same taste preferences and consumption traditions, including sausages,” she explained.

According to Ekaterina Luchkina, it is possible to boost sausage exports by increasing supplies of Russian sausages to the Muslim countries. To accomplish this, the manufacturers are currently developing new products without pork.