Active investment in Ukraine’s pig industry and a rise in the production levels of the country’s biggest pork companies resulted in an 18.3% year-on-year increase in pig production in January-April 2013, with the country selling 154,800 tonnes (t) of pigs in live weight for slaughter.
According to official data, production of fresh and chilled pork during the first quarter of the year amounted to 63,400t, while frozen reached 3,400t. This meant that the market share of domestic pork increased from 82% to 88%.
At the same time, imports are showing decline, and totalled just 9,000t in March, which is 30% less than March 2012. Experts have pointed to Ukraine’s ban on Brazilian pork, and predicted that imports will continue to fall over the rest of the year.
“Pork production in the country will continue to grow, and will replace much of the previously imported meat from Brazil. In general, in the positive tendencies Ukraine has all chances to reach the self-sufficient in pork production,” said Alina Zarko of the Ukraine Club of Agricultural Business.
So far this year, agricultural enterprises have produced 170,100t of pigs in live weight, which is a 13% year-on-year increase from 2012. Ukraine’s pig herd has grown by 8%, and as of May 1 totalled 3.7m head.
Experts claim that these figures are just the beginning of a real boom in Ukraine’s pork industry.
“The rapid growth of the industry could be partly explained by the ban on the supply of pork from Brazil, which has resulted in a deficit on the market, making prices more attractive,” said agricultural analyst Eugene Gerden.
“Moreover, a number of large pig farms were built at the end of last year, which are now entering the production capacity. Most likely we will see more rapid growth in pork production in the coming months and, as a result, imports may stop completely by the end of the year."