Russian pig farmers feel effects of poultry imports from China
Pork prices in Russia have fallen sharply over the past few months as meat processors have increasingly switched to affordable poultry fillet imported from China. Industry groups warn that average profitability in the sector has dropped to a critical level.
The Russian state statistical service Rosstat reported in February that ham prices had fallen 23% year-on-year, shoulder by 27%, brisket by 21%, and trimmings by 39%. Most of the decline occurred in recent months – a trend Russian pig farmers attribute to a surge in poultry fillet imports from China.
Yuri Kovalev is chairman of the Russian Union of Pork Producers (RUPP). Speaking at an industry conference in February, he said that the sharp drop in profitability would be due to large amounts of fillet imports from China. At best, pig farmers now manage to break even, he said.
Cheap imports on the rise
Kovalev added that in China, chicken fillet is in relatively low demand due to consumer preferences, so it is being exported to Russia at relatively low prices. In 2025, China exported 118,300 tons of poultry meat to Russia, up 56.1% from 2024 and 630% higher than in 2023, according to the Russian State Customs Service.
According to market participants, Chinese chicken meat – even taking import costs into account – is about 30% cheaper than domestically produced poultry. Rosstat said that as of February 2025, the average poultry price in Russia has been falling 5%.
Meat processors take advantage
While pig farmers complain about shrinking margins, Russian meat processors are benefitting.
At a press conference in Moscow in March 2026, Yulia Panferova, chair of the National Union of Meat Processors, said that the availability of affordable raw materials allows processors to sign long-term contracts with retail chains and help keep food inflation in check. For processors, access to imported fillet also improves business predictability, she added.
Join 18,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the pigsector, three times a week.
