Russia aims to reduce meat imports

Russia's Agriculture Minister, Yelena Skrynnik, has told Russia's State Duma (Parliament) that the country could almost halve its annual meat imports by 2012 as compared with imports in 2008. This is a result of rising domestic meat production.

Both pork and poultry meat production rose sharply year-on-year in Russia in the first nine months of this year, but beef production fell slightly. The government's aim is for meat imports to account for just 18% of Russia's meat market in 2012. It is taking measures to create an environment for livestock producers in which they can raise their production volumes.