Russia forecasts a rise in poultry and egg exports despite sanctions
The Russian union of poultry producers, Rosptitsesoyuz, forecasts an 18.1% rise in poultry meat exports from Russia in 2022 compared to 2021, to 360,000 tonnes, Galina Bobyleva, general director of Rosptitsesoyuz, said during the Animal Farming Russia conference on 19 May.
By 2030, poultry meat exports are expected to reach 638,000 tonnes, she added.
Russian egg exports are also set to rise to 570 million units in 2022, compared to 506 million units last year. By 2030, this figure is projected to jump to 850 million units, Bobyleva outlined.
In 2021, Russia exported poultry primarily to Kazakhstan, unrecognised republics of Ukraine, China, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia, the Russian Federal Customs Service reported.
Imports to remain unchanged
On the other hand, Russia’s poultry imports are expected to remain relatively stable., in 2022 standing at 245,000 tonnes compared to 240,000 tonnes in 2021. By 2030, it is anticipated to drop to 230,000 tonnes, Bobyleva said.
In 2021, Russia imported 748 million units of eggs. This year this figure is expected to be 750 million units and the forecast for 2030 is the same, Bobyleva said.
Production to grow despite challenges
Bobyleva also projected that poultry is likely to remain the leading source of protein in Russia in the coming decade. In 2021, Russia produced 5.02 million tonnes of poultry meat, 4.3 million tonnes of pork, and 1.65 million tonnes of beef. In 2030, poultry production is set to rise to 6.1 million tonnes, pork to 5.3 million tonnes, and beef to 2 million tonnes, she said.
However, to boost production, Russia’s poultry industry needs to overcome several challenges, including the worsening epizootic situation and the risk associated with the industry’s financial health. The latter is linked with the general food inflation and low purchasing power of the Russian population, she explained, not saying anything about the impact of Western sanctions on Russia’s poultry industry.
Market collapse is impossible
Despite the uncertainty in the economy associated with sanctions and pressure from the West, the Russian poultry industry keeps growing, said Sergey Lakhtyukhov, director-general of the National Union of Poultry Breeders, adding that in the current conditions the market collapse due to sanctions is “impossible”.
Lakhtyukhov added that the situation in terms of exports is better than they may seem. In the first quarter of 2022, Russian poultry exports jumped 35%. He added that Russia has not found itself in isolation as there are countries that keep importing Russian poultry.
