Russian pork imports down 22%, in UK 11% higher
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Total pork imports by Russia from January to September 2015 amounted to 212,000 tonnes. This compares with 273,000 tonnes in the same period in 2014 and 453,000 tonnes in 2013, before the country’s pigmeat trade bans began.
Despite the nine-month decline in Russian imports, figures for the third quarter of 2015 show a 15% rise on the year. As a result, the third quarter registered the largest volume of imports for a quarter since the beginning of 2014, when the first ban on EU pork was introduced.
UK pork imports rose strongly in October, increasing for the third time in four months, driven by supplies from Denmark and Spain, according to AHDB Pork.
The month’s intake totalled 33,900 tonnes, 11% higher than in October 2014, with a 20% rise in imports from Denmark and a surge in purchases from Spain.
With bacon imports down 6% on the year, however, including from Denmark, there appears to be a change of business patterns taking place. The indication is that more pork is now being imported for curing in the UK than in the past.
For exports, AHDB Pork reported “little change” overall from a year earlier. ■