Sausage producers have warned about the risks of rising prices for products

Sausage lacks beef. The National Union of MEAT Processors (NSM) complained to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture that meat processing plants cannot import imported beef under a duty-free quota, since there are still no all the permits for this (the letter is at the disposal of "RG"). Because of this, there is a risk of an increase in the price of sausages and other meat products that use beef.

Start importing preferential beef to RUSSIA should have been in a good way from the beginning of the year. The government allowed to deliver to the country this year 100,000 beef without a 15% duty for the production of finished products - meat, stew, delicacies. This was requested by the producers of these products against the backdrop of a shortage of domestic beef. But the documentation that allows you to start this import has not yet been released. In particular, the draft order of the Ministry of Agriculture, which establishes the procedure for confirming the intended use of these imports, is now "stuck" on agreement with the Ministry of Justice.

In this regard, it will be difficult to import all 100,000 tons of beef in the remaining eight months.

"Importers imported raw materials, hoping that they would be able to use the duty-free tariff, but this did not happen. Storage costs exceeded the savings on duty and now we will get expensive raw materials instead of cheap ones," the letter says. And this may lead to an increase in the price of finished products, says Yulia Panferova, chairman of the board of the NSM. So far, prices are not rising due to raw materials imported at the end of last year and low demand. Meat processors are asked to approve the necessary documents as soon as possible in order to start importing.

The order of the Ministry of Agriculture has already passed the interdepartmental coordination and is at the last stage of coordination - under consideration in the Ministry of Justice, confirmed "RG" in the Ministry of Agriculture. At the same time, they note that the share of imports in meat processing is insignificant and cannot have a serious impact on the cost of the final product. Selling prices for beef from producers have increased slightly - by 1.3% since the beginning of 2023, which is lower than food inflation, the ministry argues. State support measures contribute to the stabilization of prices in the market. From 2023, support for the production of young cattle for slaughter has been expanded as part of a "compensating" subsidy, the ministry added.

The HEAD of the executive committee of the National Meat Association, Sergei Yushin, believes that it will not be possible to import all 100,000 tons this year. But it's not just that there isn't enough time. According to Yushin, the quota for duty-free imports is distributed in such a way that companies experiencing financial difficulties have preferential access to imports. In addition, he is not sure about the economic feasibility of this preferential import. Importers who have imported beef in anticipation of a speedy paperwork are paying for its storage, and this fee has already "eaten" the benefit of the absence of the duty. Cheap raw materials for sausage will no longer work. In addition, the ruble has seriously weakened recently. Yes, and on the world market, beef prices are rising, as CHINAstepped up purchases. Nevertheless, the expert believes that by the May holidays all permits will be ready, and preferential beef will begin to arrive at meat processing plants. Although he considers this very idea harmful for Russian livestock breeders, the appearance of cheap imports on the market will only lead to a reduction in domestic beef production, Yushin believes. According to experts, last year the production of beef in the country has already decreased by 3.5%. In 2022, it was allowed to import 200 thousand tons of this meat without duty.