Русский
Russia supplied 11,600 tonnes of pork products to China between January 1 and March 21, according to Sergei Dankvert, head of the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor).
However, Danvert made some interesting statements about the type of products being exported, and the reasons for this, saying that Russia’s role in pork supplies to China should not be overestimated. “They have a pig population of 500 million to 550 million, we have 27 million. It is premature to say that we will feed China with our pigs – China will feed itself.”
But this market’s importance for Russian pig farming is that it provides an opportunity to supply, on economically beneficial terms, products that are considered a delicacy in China (ears, snouts, tails and other offal), but are not generally consumed in Russia, he said.
The EU had previously purchased these items for grinding into other pork products (such as sausages), but these are now being directed east. China first allowed pork supplies from Russia in the autumn of 2023. The first batches were shipped in March 2024, with three Russian companies having the right to export pork products to China.
Russia is seeking to expand this list, with Dankvert saying that overall, Russia’s pork exports had almost doubled so far in 2025. As of March 21, exports totaled 60,500 tonnes, up from 32,000 tonnes a year earlier. He stated that “The pace we have achieved gained points to one thing: despite the problems that we have had with Europe, and despite African swine fever, we are working in a way that enables us to export these products.”
A quick examination of EU sausage meat consumption reveals that this has dropped in volume since 2022 while prices spiked in 2023 due to what the European Commission termed “a tightening of supply”.
Further Reading
