Russian PM sees promise in pork exports to China

RUSSKY ISLAND. July 24 (Interfax) - Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Monday that during his visit to China he discussed pork exports with Chinese partners and believes that his is a promising area.

Mishustin was briefed on development projects in Primorye during a visit to Vladivostok on Monday, including the creation of one of Russia's largest pork farming clusters in the Mikhailovsky priority development area, with capacity to meet up to 80% of the Russian Far East's demand for chilled pork.

"Is it possible to scale, increase volumes?" Mishustin asked.

"Yes, it's possible. We have potential to scale and strong potential to export, if [access] is opened," Rusagro-Primorye LLC CEO Daniil Nakhanovich responded.

"I understand what you're hinting at. After the visit to China, we went with [Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev], we talked seriously with our colleagues, with the chairman of China's State Council about the possibility of exporting pork, because they are extremely careful about this there, but the first sprouts seemed to emerge," Mishustin said.

He said there were plans to start exporting from Belgorod Region, but shipping from Primorye would be much closer.

"So far we've only opened a small path to Vietnam. We're selling various by-products," Nakhanovich said.

The problem was an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that resulted in the loss of a third of the herd, he said.

"And therefore our priorities going forward are to restore the whole herd, finally achieve design capacity and expand the scope of our biosecurity together with the government of Primorye and the local administration," Nakhanovich said.

Mishustin, noting that the company is creating many jobs and working in an important area with strong export potential, wished him luck.