During the first 8 months of the current year the supply of all kinds of meat has decreased by 6% in comparison with the previous year. It is caused by the reduction of beef production.
Considering the production volume, export and import the general supply of meat on the market was 743 thousand tons in January. It decreased by 6% in comparison with the same period last year. The supply has decreased because of the reduction of beef supply by 26%, reduction of poultry meat supply by 6%, but the supply of pork has increased by 2%.
The problem with providing the Ukrainian consumer with beef has emerged recently. The beef part in the whole structure of meat production was 51% in 2003, but during the 8 months of the current year its part was only 7%. During last seven years its production has reduced by 60%; from 284 thousand tons in 2003 to 112 thousand tons in 2010.Meanwhile Ukraine became less dependent from meat import. The production and export of poultry meat and pork have been increasing.
It was exported 7.2 thousand tons of pork during the period from January to August of the current year; it is 94 times more than in the same period last year. Pork import decreased by 30% and was 46.9 thousand tons. The export price of pork has decreased by 16%, and the import price of pork has increased by 6%.
Beef export reduced by 18% up to 9.1 thousand tons; the import volume is on the same level In comparison with the previous year and is 2 thousand tons. The peculiarity of year 2011 is the increase of cooled beef export in 11 times: from 0.2 up to 2.2 thousand tons; and the decrease of frozen beef import: from 10.9 up to 6.9 thousand tons. The price for frozen imported beef has increased more than twice, for exported – by 40%.
It is expected that beef prices will go on rising, considering the factors described and the reduction of cattle herd. As export of poultry meat exceeds its production it is expected that the prices will continue to rise as well. The changes on slaughter pig market allow to assume that pork prices will stabilize of or reduce.