Meat power: Russia has seriously increased pork exports
Pork exports in the first half of this year amounted to more than 190 thousand tons. In value terms, shipments exceeded the amount of $470 million. Belarus turned out to be the leader among buyers of domestic products — from January to June, pork and offal were supplied to the country for almost $170 million. By the end of the year, the volume of Russian exports will approach 400 thousand tons, which will amount to about $ 1 billion in foreign currency terms, experts predict. Izvestia found out why supplies to foreign markets are growing.
Impressive result
In the first half of 2025, Russia supplied more than 190 thousand tons of pork and offal to foreign markets. In terms of value, shipments exceeded the figure of $470 million, an increase of 79% compared to the same period last year. In physical terms, the volume of exports increased by 53%. This is reported by the federal center "Agroexport". The total volume of supplies of Russian pig products, including live pigs and finished pork products, exceeded $500 million.
Belarus turned out to be the leader among buyers in January – June of this year. During this period, almost $170 million worth of pig meat and offal was supplied to this country. This is 73% more than the same period last year.
Vietnam has significantly increased purchases, with a 91% increase to almost $130 million.
Mainland China occupies a separate place in the supply structure. The entry into this market was carried out in March 2024. In the first six months of this year, exports reached $92 million, which is three times higher than last year's figure. In April 2025, the monthly volume of supplies exceeded 7 thousand tons for the first time, in May — 8.5 thousand tons, said Ilya Ilyushin, head of the federal center for Agroexport.
The editorial board of Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. No response has been received at the time of publication.
A step towards leadership
Over the past 15 years, Russia has made a huge step forward in the development of domestic pig farming and by the turn of the 2020s it had almost completely replaced imported products, recalls Yuri Kovalev, Director General of the National Union of Pig Breeders. Back in the mid-2000s, Russia was a major importer of pork, providing up to half of the domestic market with foreign purchases, says Dmitry Zavyalov, Dean of the Faculty of Higher School of Economics and Business at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. However, since 2016, the Russian Federation has left the list of importers, and since 2018 it has fully become self-sufficient for this meat.
"Increasing production has allowed Russia not only to saturate the domestic market, but also to take a prominent position among the world's exporters," the expert notes.
Russia has entered the world's top 5 pork producers, adds Kovalev. The goal was to enter the export markets of both neighboring countries and Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, China and Mongolia, he said.
The growth of trade with Belarus, which is experiencing a shortage of pork, played an important role in increasing exports, says Sergey Yushin, head of the National Meat Association. Production in this country has declined significantly, affected by animal diseases.
— Meanwhile, the meat processing industry is developed in Belarus. This country supplies large volumes of finished products to Russia, part of the raw materials for which is pork. Therefore, Belarus has grown significantly in terms of Russian exports and occupies the first place," explains the interlocutor of Izvestia.
Another reason for the increase in supplies is trade with China, he emphasizes. The expert recalls that in the first half of last year, pork supplies to China were just beginning.
— Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the effect of a low base — the growth dynamics that was in the first half of this year will no longer be in the second half of the year. Deliveries will be more calm and regular," Yushin believes.
At the same time, according to the head of the National Meat Association, the anti-dumping duties imposed by China against European pork also contribute to the growth of Russian exports.
By-products are sent to Southeast Asia in a significant volume, says Kovalev. At the same time, they are more expensive than meat in China and Vietnam. These are ears, piglets and other parts of the carcass that are not in demand on the Russian market, but are in demand from Chinese consumers, confirms Ilya Ilyushin, head of the Agroexport Federal Center.
— Their sale helps our manufacturers to reduce the cost of production in the domestic market, — Kovalev is sure.
Meanwhile, according to the Indian Statistical Service, Russia quadrupled its exports of pig products to India in the first half of this year, becoming the second main supplier to the country, Ilyushin points out.
— Demand in India is steady, taking into account the needs of HoReCa and pharmaceutical industries. The supply does not fully meet this demand due to outbreaks of African swine fever in the country and the lack of large breeds of animals, he explains.
Due to the active spread of African swine fever in Europe, India is reducing purchases from European countries, which were the main suppliers in previous years, the expert notes.
Overall, Russian pork prices are among the most competitive in the world, Yushin believes, which also contributes to export growth.
— Pork has been rising in price at a very low rate in recent years. Over the past five years, retail pork prices have increased by about 25-30%," the expert notes.
Another aspect is related to the development of logistics routes that allow competing in terms of delivery time, the Izvestia interlocutor points out.
The observed export growth exceeds forecasts, but manufacturers generally expected that supply volumes would increase against the background of a gradual weakening of the ruble, which provides additional advantages, he explains.
Export growth rates in the second half of the year, however, will not be as impressive in volume, Yushin predicts.
"But we expect it to grow by 20-30% by the end of the year," he expects.
By the end of the year, the volume of exports will approach 400 thousand tons, which will amount to about $ 1 billion in foreign currency terms, predicts, in turn, Kovalev.
At a rapid pace
The annual growth rate of pork in Russia ranges from 5 to 10%. This assessment is given by Yuri Kovalev. Back in 2005, 400 thousand tons of products were produced in Russia. According to the expert, 5 million tons will be produced this year.
— Now the growth rate is slightly lower, because we have practically displaced imports. At the same time, our per capita pork consumption has increased by a third," he clarifies.
Additional volumes are primarily exported, explains the head of the National Union of Pig Breeders. And the sale of about 400 thousand tons of pork and offal per year will amount to about 6-8% of production.
According to Dmitry Zavyalov, several factors contributed to the observed increase in production. First of all, government support programs have had an effect, which have launched many large production projects.
At the same time, despite the saturation of the domestic market, pork consumption is still growing — the share of this meat in the consumer basket is increasing, the expert believes
"The export orientation has made it possible to avoid overproduction, and some new projects in the field of pig farming have already been launched with a view to export," the source said.
However, the industry is also facing some difficulties, as Sergey Yushin points out.
"Given that the main investments were made in 2019-2023, we do not expect rapid production growth, because loans have become expensive and less accessible," he draws attention.
However, there is hope for an improvement in the situation — the key rate is gradually decreasing, and the Ministry of Agriculture has allocated certain amounts for preferential loans in pig farming. In this regard, the expert expects starting from 2027-2028 to reach production rates that will further stimulate exports.
— The full potential of exports is far from exhausted — new markets for Russia are expected to open in the near future. And in this context, the main task is to return to large—scale investments in the construction of new facilities," the Izvestia interlocutor emphasizes.
While maintaining a favorable epizootic situation and current shipping conditions, it is expected that exports of pig products in the second half of 2025 will continue to show positive dynamics, confirms Ilya Ilyushin.
— The Russian pig industry has a significant potential to increase the supply of its products to foreign markets both by expanding their geography and by strengthening their positions in existing markets. We see demand for Russian pork and offal, so we continue to actively work on opening up new countries and certifying enterprises to already open markets," he summarizes.
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