Russian meat producer Cherkizovo Group expects its exports volume to increase by as much as 70% this year due to higher sales of poultry to Asia and the CIS.

According to the company’s preliminary results, its poultry exports hit 85,000t this year, which is up nearly 70% year-on-year (Y-o-Y).

Similar to last year, chicken exports are the key driver behind this year’s growth, reaching 63,000t and accounting for 74% of the company’s total exports.

Cherkizovo head of industry unios and government relations Andrei Terekhin said: “China has been the main export destination for our poultry products since 2019, and this year’s solid growth in chicken exports is largely attributable to the high level of sales we achieved in this market in 2020.

The range of chicken products that it supplies to China mostly includes chicken feet, wings, drumsticks and other cuts.

Among the important buyers in China are major distributors and meat processors that serve retail chains and foodservice providers.

This year, Cherkizovo Group made the first chicken shipments to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

In addition, the firm also increased its chicken supplies to the CIS.

The firm expects its pork exports to increase by 32% to 14,500t this year due to increased shipments to the CIS and the launch of supplies to new markets in South-East Asia.

Turkey export sales are expected to expand by more than 50% this year to 2,400t, primarily because of the start of shipments to China.

The firm stated that exports of processed meat products such as sausages and ready-to-cook items may see robust growth for the first time in several years, growing to exceed 5,000t, which is a Y-o-Y increase of approximately 25%.

Terekhin added: “Despite the pandemic, Cherkizovo Group was able to make strides in further strengthening its export growth in 2020. It remains one of our business development priorities, and in 2021 we will keep working to boost exports by increasing our presence in the already secured markets while also diversifying into new geographies.”