Ministry of Agriculture: Opening of Chinese market could boost pork production

He noted that among the factors that have a positive effect on the pig industry's progress is the growth of consumption. This year, there is good demand for pork from both the processing and consumer sectors. According to the results of the first nine months of this year,  the Ministry of Agriculture  notes an increase in pork production by 6% compared to last year's level. "And all this product finds its consumer - there are no problems with sales," Razin noted.

"In addition, we continue to work to strengthen international contacts, including increasing supplies to China . And this year we have our first victories," Razin said. At the end of September, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China lifted 15-year restrictions on pork exports from Russia,  Rosselkhoznadzor reported . The agency has been carrying out large-scale work to ensure access to the Chinese market for pork products since 2013. This suggests that our pig farming has good preconditions for increasing production, Razin believes.

He expressed hope that the industry will continue to develop, and stressed that the Ministry of Agriculture, for its part, will support this development. The most important issues that the industry should still pay close attention to, especially given the emergence of new export opportunities, are biosecurity and veterinary well-being. "These issues, of course, remain on the agenda. But in general, the industry is being restructured, modern technologies are being used, pig farms are constantly working to improve veterinary well-being and biosecurity," Razin noted.

The Deputy Minister added that the business still has new investment projects and plans in pig farming. "And we expect that in the coming years the industry will develop steadily, because there are both internal and external prerequisites for this," he noted. Razin added that the Ministry of Agriculture works with the National Union of Pig Breeders in a direct dialogue mode, and such cooperation is, among other things, a guarantee of stable work and high-quality development of pig farming in the present and future.