24 May 2004 02:35
Russian meat, milk, egg production sectors see decline in Jan-Apr 2004
Moscow, 24 May: Russian farmers produced around 2.2m tonnes of meat in live weight in January-April, up 1.1 per cent
on the year, the Federal State Statistics Service said on Monday [24 May]. In April, meat output amounted to around
500,000 t, up 0.4 per cent on the year.
The meat production rise was due to increased rates of slaughter, but the pace of growth in the sector has slowed
down. During the same period of 2003, Russia's meat output was up 6.6 per cent on the year, while 2003 meat
production rose 4.7 per cent on the year to 7.7m tonnes. The sector's growth is well below the earlier project 6
per cent annual rise.
Increased slaughter is a consequence of high prices for feed grain. Grain prices have increased significantly after
the poorer grain harvest last year.
As a result, the number of pigs was down 10.2 per cent on the year to 16m as of 1 May. A year earlier when the
industry enjoyed cheap feed prices and increased demand for meat, the number of pigs was up 5.2 per cent on the
year.
Beef output continues to decline also as the number of cattle continues falling. The number of cattle was down 5.8
per cent on the year to 26.1m head as of 1 May.
Russia's milk output amounted in January-April to 9.1m tonnes, a drop of 3.5 per cent on the year, including 3m
tonnes in April when a 4 per cent annual decline was registered. In 2003, milk production was at 33.3m tonnes, down 0.6
per cent on the year.
Egg output in January-April declined 2.3 per cent on the year to 11.2bn. In April, the output accounted for 3bn, down
3.1 per cent on the year. In 2003, egg output totalled 36.4bn, up 0.4 per cent on the year. [Passage omitted]
[Prime-TASS news agency] |
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