Russia invests in horsemeat production
To ensure the program will have all the funds it needs, an order has been signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Experts at the Russian Ministry of Agriculture pointed out that almost all of the grants will go to small horse farms, which account for around 75% of horsemeat production in the country.
"Farms specialising in the production of horsemeat in Russia currently number around 3,000, while most of them are small with fewer than 100 head. About 70% of horsemeat breeds are historically concentrated in areas inhabited by local ethnic groups – Bashkirs, Tatars, Chechens and Yakuts, among others," said Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
"Demand for horsemeat among Russians is not vast. Historically, they rode horses, but did not eat them. However, the indigenous groups living in the central part of the country see things a little differently. Here the families farm horses – a tradition that dates back at least a couple of centuries," said Askar Tuchiev, owner of a small farm in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan.
"And the culture of horsemeat consumption is quite different. If we compare the consumption of horsemeat per capita among the Russian population as a whole and among the Bashkirs, I am sure we would see that the Bashkirs consume on average 10 times more horsemeat per year," he added.
Horsemeat production to rise by 50%
According to official statistics, Russia currently produces about 70,000 tonnes (t) of horse meat annually. However, the market demand is estimated at 110,000t. The country imports a significant share of the total horsemeat in Russia from abroad. According to official statistics, almost 80% of horsemeat consumption falls exactly in those republics that are also producing the meat.
"The subsidies directed by the government to support productive horse farming in Russia are not intended to increase the number of farms producing horsemeat and dairy products. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the money will actually be distributed among existing farms to stimulate them in increasing their production levels by implementing more modern farming methods," said Russian agriculture analyst Eugene Gerden.
As well as innovation and improvement in breeding methods, the investment is designed to significantly increase the profitability of horse farming in the country, which already stands at a very high level. According to preliminary plans, by 2020 Russia will have ramped up production of horsemeat by about 50%, to 110,000t. During the same period, demand for these products is estimated to increase by up to 120,000t, but experts believe the country will achieve self-sufficiency in this type of meat in the longer term.
