Russia to be self-sufficient in pig meat within five years

Vasily Friezen notes that Russia will be satisying all of its pork needs within five years.

Russia could be self-sufficient in pig meat within five years.
Speaking at trade show EuroTier, director general of Russian feed concern MegaMix Vasily Friezen noted that while not achieving the growth rates achieved in the poultry industry, the country’s pig producers were, nevertheless, recording strong levels.
Currently, the country only produces 50% of the pig meat consumed by the population.
He continued that while the country should be self-sufficient in poultry meat by the end of next year, the cattle sector could take some 18-20 years to satisfy internal demand for beef.
A variety of factors are helping to drive production on the supply side. The government, in an attempt to reduce imports, is subsidizing farmers to stimulate local production. Another factor is that farmers have ever more access to information and improved genetics, allowing producers to raise productivity.