July 3 2003, 11:37 Interfax

Russia: quoting of meat imports had no significant impact on supplies - Russia's AgMin

Quoting of meet imports, introduced by Russia in this year, has not significantly influenced the country's supplies with meet products, Russia's First Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sergey Dankvert said to a news conference Wednesday. The news conference was devoted to the first conference of European Poultry Breeders' Club, held in Russia.

The quotas have been aimed at stabilisation of situation on the market, in order that "no one should desire to dumping on the market with the subsidised products and to destroy it", he said. He thinks that the price growth for meat, which, according to preliminary estimate, constituted 9 percent in half year (inflation over the five months constituted 7.1 percent), gives no reason to assume that the quotas have aggravated situation.

"Import is coming in necessary proportions. There are no fears about supplies of the country with meat", he said.

Meantime, debates as for the mechanism of quotas distribution are continued among the market participants.

As it has already been reported, the quotas are distributed according to historical principle, i.e. proportionately to the volumes, brought by the importers in 2000-2002. Besides that, the poultry quota is divided between countries. However, the consultative council on monitoring of meet imports to the RF, while agreeing with the historical principle of quotas distribution, thinks that the division of "chicken quota" into countries should be eliminated. The same opinion was also voiced by the President of Russian Meat Union Musheg Mamikonian at a news conference on Wednesday. Mamikonian said that the union had prepared proposals on the change of the mechanism of quotas distribution. According to him, the quotas must be split into three sectors - for meat processors, for suppliers and for auction sales. He thinks that the 10 percent of the pork and beef quota, due to be sold this year from auction, is too little, and the auction share must be larger.

This year's quota for import of beef is 315,000 tonnes, for import of pork - 337,500 tonnes, for poultry meat - 744,000 tonnes.

Russia's demand in meet is assessed at 7.5 million tonnes annually. Own production constitutes 4.4 to 4.5 million tonnes per year, including 1.85 million tonnes of beef and 1.6 million tonnes of pork per year.