Russia expected to remain net exporters of animal products in 2024 - Dankvert

MOSCOW. Dec 26 (Interfax) - Russia will remain a net exporter of animal products in 2024, the head of Russian plant and animal health watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, Sergei Dankvert said.

"Right now there is a good proportion in our exports and imports of animal products, we're more exporters than importers. At the end of the year, I think it will be approximately as follows: imports of up to 700,000 tonnes and exports of about 750,000-770,000 tonnes, meaning we're still exporting more," Dankvert said in a New Year message to staff posted on the watchdog's website.

Russia is also increasing exports of processed products, he added.

But the growth of exports will not affect the situation on the domestic meat market, Dankvert said. Per capita meat consumption in Russia will increase by at least 2 kg this year, he said.

He also said Russians are eating more citrus fruit. "This year our market received 244,000 tonnes more [citrus fruit], including mandarins. Consumption of bananas has also grown. While before it was 900,000 tonnes per year, then 1.1 million tonnes, now we've come up to 1.3 million-1.4 million tonnes," Dankvert said.

"There are no concerns that there won't be enough of some kinds of products," he added.

Speaking about supplying farmers with vaccines for livestock, Dankvert said that the market breakdown this year will be 30% imports and 70% Russian-made, whereas just a year ago it was 70% imports and 30% Russian.

"This is thanks to our Animal Protection Institute, which previously produced 1.5 billion vaccines for birds, but this year already reported 13.1 billion," Dankvert said.