The farmer sadly explained why Russia has to import beef

The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia took the initiative to extend the duty-free import of beef in 2023. Within the quota for 200 thousand tons. The agricultural department believes that additional volumes of meat from Latin American countries will help curb price increases in the domestic market, that is, in stores. The government is already studying this initiative. Meanwhile, the idea of ​​duty-free imports remains, to put it mildly, incomprehensible to domestic livestock breeders.

In their opinion, in this way the state itself cuts the branch on which it sits. And exacerbates import dependence in the field of food security in Russia.

The arithmetic here is simple. In the first half of 2022, farmers and large livestock farms reduced beef production by 3.3%. Note that, according to official data, this is the only type of meat products, the production of which in the Russian Federation fell during this period. According to some experts, such a drop may cause a shortage of the product – which has not been observed at all in the consumer basket in recent years. Here the Ministry of Agriculture proposes a measure to avoid this deficit.

So why are farmers unhappy? In their opinion, duty-free import quotas will ruin domestic production. Russian meat-packing plants will stop buying their bulls and heifers for processing, giving preference to cheap imports. Or, at best, lower prices.

Which is exactly what is happening this year. According to the National Meat Association, from May to July, prices for live cattle from Russian farmers on average decreased from about 222 rubles per kilogram to 169. cattle breeding. This year we will buy 200 thousand tons, next year 500 thousand – and we will get hooked on an imported needle in the production of beef … Where should the poor peasant go?

A conflict emerged between the producers and the Ministry of Agriculture. Farmers believe that the department should defend their interests with a mountain and not let cheap foreign meat into Russia. Since the meat processing plants will stop buying domestic products and the farms will go bankrupt.

The Ministry of Agriculture acts on the side of the consumer. Perhaps also for the reason that the ministry (as its full name implies) is responsible not only for agriculture, but also for food. These are retail prices.

Who is to blame among them, who is right – it is not for us to judge, as they say. But the fact is that beef has long been a delicacy for Russians, you can’t buy cheaper than 600 rubles per kilogram (on the bone) in a store.

Of course, you can follow the lead of manufacturers and focus entirely on domestic production. To suffer another 2-3 years until they increase the volume of deliveries without any external competition. Ultimately, most Russians have long been consuming cheaper analogues – pork and chicken.

What should we eliminate beef from our diet for a couple of years? But then grace will come. As in Brazil, where the surplus of this meat is about 50 thousand tons per month.

However, as statistics show, over the past five years, beef production in the country has grown by only 0.8%. A teaspoon per year. Therefore, as in Brazil, it will not be soon.

True, the Ministry of Agriculture is hatching new plans to increase beef production. In particular, he intends to allocate money to farmers who would be engaged in beef cattle breeding. How promising is such a project?

– Beef should be expensive, – the head of the Davydovskoye farm in the Yaroslavl region explained to us. Andrey Fadeichev. – A calf needs to be fed for 1.5-2 years and only then you get money for it. A pig is grown to slaughter weight in six months, 3 times faster, a chicken in 45 days. And you want beef to be sold at the same price?

– But do they give decent money for a calf?

– To have a profit, you need a large farm, at least 300 heads. And then, the profitability is quite small: 5%, at most 10%. Another story is for those who have their own stores and sell meat directly to customers. But there are few of them.

– And if you hand over a grown calf to resellers? How do they sell, say, potatoes or carrots?

– In no case! Neither dealers, nor meat-packing plants. The calf costs 10 thousand rubles. You grow it for, say, a year and a half. You feed, water, take care of, bring food and clean manure. In the best case, the cost during this time will be 80 thousand rubles. And the dealer will buy for 90 thousand. In 1.5 years you will earn 10 thousand rubles – how is it: profitable or not?

If you take it to a meat processing plant, the same story turns out. Here in the Yaroslavl region, they accept cows at 110 rubles per kilogram of live weight, bulls – at 180-200 rubles.

– It turns out that it is generally not profitable for a small farmer to keep cattle for meat?

– There is a fair economy. When a private trader grows a bull to order. Knowing that after slaughtering and cutting it, 10 residents of the city – friends or neighbors – will immediately buy it. But you stipulate with them that you will sell the carcass not for 90 thousand, but, say, for 110. These are already your regular customers, they can come and see what the animal feeds on, in what conditions it is kept.

– How can we increase the production of beef nationwide? Indeed, it is better not to contact …

– In my opinion, it is necessary to develop pasture animal husbandry. So that the whole spring-summer period the cattle grazed in the open. There is no need to remove manure behind it, the grass with these fertilizers grows faster. It results in minimum costs. But even in this case, the manufacturer needs fair prices, that is, direct contacts with the buyer, without any intermediaries and resellers.