World meat industry news

According to expert estimates, in January-April 2024, the volume of Russian exports of sausages increased by 21% compared to the same period in 2023 and amounted to almost 15 thousand tons.

Supplies to Kazakhstan have become the main growth factor for Russian highly processed meat products. Over the past 4 months, more than 11 thousand tons of sausage products were supplied to Kazakhstan, which is 21% higher than the volume of supplies for the same period last year. In addition, the top three importers of these products also include Azerbaijan and Abkhazia.

In the non-CIS segment, African countries led the way in purchases - the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. During the reporting period, supplies to China, Mongolia, Vietnam and the UAE increased significantly. In 2024, exports of Russian sausages to Peru, which had been suspended in 2020, resumed, and supplies to Ecuador were noted for the first time.

The head of the National Meat Association, Sergei Yushin, notes that Russia began exporting prepared meat products long before it began selling meat abroad. This is explained by the preservation of traditional ties between countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union, he explained.

“Throughout the entire territory of the former USSR, the culture of sausage consumption was preserved, and Soviet recipes continued to remain the main ones in the 1990s and 2000s. Logistics are well established with a number of neighboring countries, and an attractive customs regime has been formed. In addition, at present “Russian products are competitive in price,” said Sergei Yushin.

At the end of 2023, Abi increased exports by 36%, expecting this year records for shipments of sausages, frozen semi-finished products and finished products, which are supplied to 13 countries, including Kazakhstan, Belarus, Abkhazia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. The company’s brands are also represented in foreign countries, such as China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Mongolia, noted Roman Otodraka, director of the company’s sales department.

“Abi brand products are constantly represented in Good Food Russia showrooms in China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. In addition, the company takes part in international exhibitions and events. “It should be noted that we see high interest in manufacturers of finished products from Russia in the countries to which we supply. For the post-Soviet countries, this is, of course, due to a common historical past. At the same time, Russian products, for example, in China are considered to be of higher quality and healthier. Therefore, we are actively increasing our presence by expanding our range. existing sales markets, and are also studying prospects for entering new ones,” said Roman Otodraka.

However, in general, sales of finished meat products on the world market are significantly less than sales of fresh meat, says Sergei Yushin: “Most countries follow the principle of tariff escalation, when import duties on finished products are always higher than duties on raw materials. Nevertheless, the task of increasing Russian supplies of sausages abroad must be set.”

Among the promising markets for this, he highlighted the countries of Asia, the Middle East and Africa. In Russia there are already large and modern export-oriented companies that successfully supply meat abroad and develop a line of finished products. However, according to Sergei Yushin, successful export of highly processed goods requires significant marketing efforts, investments in creating a brand for local markets, holding tasting events and possible changes in recipes, taking into account the characteristics of a particular market.

More detailed information about trends in the Russian and global markets for meat products, including sausages, can be found in the second edition of the Annual Report “World Food Security and International Trade in Agricultural Products 2023/24”. This publication is being prepared jointly by Agroexport and MGIMO, with the participation of leading agribusiness companies and experts, and will be presented in July 2024.