Meat processors announced the abundance of pork in Russia despite the sanctions

Member of the Board of the National Union of Meat Processors, Chairman of the Expert Council on Sectoral State Regulation Sergey Shmelev told RBC that Russia is provided with pork. Previously, the government extended food sanctions by banning the importation of live pigs from the United States , Norway and Liechtenstein.

“We are provided with pork by 90%, and at such a rate, next year, 2018, we will be provided with 100%. We have enough liver, including pork. We have always been provided with beef liver thanks to South America, as we do not have enough of our own,” Shmelev explained. Despite the fact that beef cattle breeding is now developing in Russia, the country can receive offal from South America "quietly", the expert noted.

“The difference is only in the delivery time, because transport takes longer here. However, this will not hit the cost, ”Shmelev added.

On Friday, October 27, the government expanded food sanctions against the US, the EU and several other countries. Now it is forbidden to import live pigs and any by-products of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, mules or hinnies into Russia (except for goods imported for the production of pharmaceutical products).

In addition, the government banned the import of various types of animal fat. The authorities were quick to assure that the new bans would not affect domestic consumers. Director of the SovEcon analytical center Andrey Sizov, in a conversation with RBC, recalled that the Rosselkhoznadzor imposed a ban on the import of pork and live pigs from all EU countries due to the threat of African swine fever (ASF) back in 2014.