Russian pork exports expected to grow to 350,000 t in 2025 from 300,000 t in 2024 - industry union

MOSCOW. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Russia exported 300,000 tonnes of pork in 2024, which amounted to about 6% of the country's production, the CEO of the National Union of Pig Breeders, Yury Kovalev told reporters.

"This year we plan to increase exports by about another 15%-20%. It will be about 350,000 tonnes. The target by 2030 is 500,000-550,000 tonnes," Kovalev said.

He linked the potential for exports primarily to the fact that last year Russia began exporting pork to China, the world's largest market.

"Last year, essentially just in the second half, we shipped 40,000 tonnes to the Chinese market. I think it would be a great success if we increase by another 50% this year, ship about 60,000-70,000 tonnes," Kovalev said. The first shipment of Russian pork arrived in China in April 2024.

Asked about the prospects of increasing the number of Russian pork suppliers to the China, as only three companies are currently certified, he said Russian plant and animal health watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor is working intently toward this with its Chinese colleagues.

"There are a number of companies that are now preparing for accreditation for the Chinese market. I don't want to presume, but we nonetheless hope. Our product is competitive in both quality and price. The first results of deliveries demonstrated this," Kovalev said.

He recalled that Russia achieved virtually 100% self-sufficiency for pork by the start of the 2020s. "Today our domestic pork prices, particularly in foreign currency terms, are among the lowest in the world, primarily because we created our own industry. And in 2020 we began to implement an export-oriented strategy," Kovalev said.