Russia to launch turkey supplies to the EU
"The poultry producing company JSC Krasnobor, located in the Tula Oblast, has been included in the list of exporters to the EU," said the organisation.
At the same time, details on possible supply volumes were not specified. "The company produces 23,000 tonnes (t) of turkey meat per year. How much meat will be shipped to the EU has not yet been determined. The timing of the deliveries is also unknown," said a spokesperson from JSC Krasnobor.
Russian analytical agency Meatinfo.ru estimated that Krasnobor accounts for about a third of Russia’s overall turkey production. The company sells its products primarily in Moscow and Tula Oblast, with 90% of all products being chilled meat.
Vadim Vannev, CEO of Russia’s largest producer of turkey meat, Eurodon, which is also developing exports, said Russian producers were not yet ready to export large volumes of turkey meat, but that this market could have growing importance.
"Small deliveries of 300t-500t of turkey, with overall volumes in the domestic market of 120,000t, have little impact for either side [exporter and importing country]. Russian producers need a few more years to prepare for large-scale exports. But it is important that the process has begun. It is necessary to start somewhere, gain experience and stake out the market. Serious, long-term relationships are built slowly, step by step," he said.
"We are planning to meet domestic demand first and, only after that, move to export supplies. In Russia, consumption of turkey meat currently stands at only 1kg per person per year. However, Eurodon’s strategy aims to create Russian products with export potential, so we will develop that and consider all incoming offers [on export supplies] from Asian countries," he added.
Market projections indicate that, in the period from 2013 to 2020, turkey production in Russia will grow by 133%, compared to an average growth rate in the poultry industry of just 22% during the same time frame. Over the next few decades, Russia may catch up with European countries in terms of the volume of turkey meat consumption, which should jump to 5-6kg per person per annum during this period. This would mean the domestic market could grow from 120,000t currently to 600-700,000t.
