By the beginning of the barbecue season, turkey production may decrease

In general, the volume of turkey MEAT production in RUSSIA continues to increase. In 2022, 414.5 thousand tons were produced against about 400 thousand tons a year earlier. According to preliminary data, in the first quarter of 2023, turkey production in the country increased by 12% compared to the same period last year, Velmatov compared. Almost the entire volume is immediately sent for processing and to stores, nothing remains in warehouses, he specified.

According to the NAPI forecast, by 2030 Russian enterprises will produce a total of 680 thousand tons of turkey. Moreover, the increase will occur mainly at the expense of medium-sized farms. EXPORT of turkey in seven years may grow to 60 thousand tons. In 2022, the supply of Russian turkey to world markets in physical terms increased by 17% (up to 26 thousand tons) and by 43% in monetary terms (up to $70 million). The main buyers were the countries of Africa (Congo, Liberia, Angola), Asia ( CHINA , Hong Kong, Vietnam) and the Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan). 

Domestic consumption of turkey is also increasing. If in 2013 this indicator averaged 800 g per person per year, then in 2022 it increased to 2.7 kg. NAPI expects that in the future consumption will reach 5 kg per person - about the same amount of turkey meat eaten by residents of Eastern Europe. The inclusion of turkey in the diet of schoolchildren and medical institutions can contribute to an increase in the frequency of consumption.

Now, Velmatov noted, sanitary and epidemiological requirements do not allow the use of turkey in the school menu. However, the Association prepared a relevant draft of legal acts and sent a proposal to the Ministry of HEALTH and Rospotrebnadzor to expand the use of turkey meat. “We plan that this year the necessary changes [to the regulations] will be made, and the turkey may be on the menu of schoolchildren next year,” the HEAD of NAPI shared. According to his calculations, only adding turkey to government purchases will help increase its consumption by 20% per year.

Velmatov also confirmed that the Russian turkey industry is still highly dependent on the import of hatching eggs, and this dependence is higher than in the broiler segment. He predicts that by 2025 dependency will decrease and the country will produce 43-45 million turkey eggs against a total requirement of 70 million.