Russian Far East experiences price turbulence following ASF outbreaks
Poultry and pork appeared to be in short supply in the Primorsk region, the most populated part of the Russian Far East. A series of African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks registered in this part of the country in the previous years is partly to blame.
Retail poultry prices have increased to the level of pork in the Primorsk Krai, Andrey Brontz, the regional Agricultural Minister has recently revealed in an interview with state media. The unusual price dynamics are related to the general meat deficit in the region. “In our region, the price of chicken caught up with that of pork, though pork naturally should be more expensive, as broiler production is a fast process,” Brontz said, adding that the problem is related to ASF to some extent. “When a deficit of one type of meat occurs, it is being replaced by another.”
Pork production is recovering in the Primorsk region, a region where 252,000 heads of pigs were culled at several farms in 2023. As a result, the local pig industry saw its output nearly halve.
Geographical distance
The Russian Far East is located nearly 7,000 km away from the European part of the country, where the key poultry and pork production capacities are concentrated. This geographical distance plays a significant role in the region’s meat supply dynamics. Brontz said that the crisis in the pig industry exposed a problem of low Russian Far East self-sufficiency in poultry. He estimated that Primorsk region manufacturers only 40% of broiler meet necessary to meet the domestic demand.
Last year, western Russian regions failed to expand deliveries to the Far East in a timely manner to fill the widening gap, which Brontz partly attributed to avian influenza outbreaks that hit the Russian broiler meat sector. “So, the temporary deficit of pork meat spurred the demand for poultry, which also turned out to be insufficient,” Brontz said.
Back in business
Currently, four out of six pig farms in the Primorsk region are out of service, Brontz said. However, the region has already embarked on a significant pig industry revival programme, under which the shut facilities are planned to be gradually put back into operation during 2025.
As a result, this year, pork production in the region is expected to double to 110,000 tonnes, and next year, the Russian Far East will kick off exports. Before ASF wreaked havoc on the Russian Far East, the regional authorities mulled plans to establish pork exports to South Korea, Vietnam and China.
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