Changes to Russia’s state policies have caused a consistent reduction in the country’s meat imports, and within the next few years Russia could lose its status as a major global meat importer. In the first nine months of 2013 Russia has imported 1.25 million tons of meat – down 13.2% from the same time period a year before. Beef imports decreased 16.2% year on year to 431,100 tons. Pork imports dropped by 15.2% to 479,300 tons and poultry imports dropped by 5.7% to 343,100 tons. And according to Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture the country’s livestock and poultry production increased 6% over 2012 to total 8.11 million tons. The county has implemented a string of meat production projects with the goal of becoming self-sufficient by 2020 and according to the Department of Animal Husbandry, if current trends continue meat imports will be reduced by 2020 to 450,000 tons – 80% of which will be beef. Lower profitability, five-year implementation periods for beef projects, and payback periods in excess of a decade will inhibit the country from becoming self-sufficient in beef.
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