Russia’s Cherkizovo Group has announced that it has commenced the export of turkey to China with a 27-tonne shipment from Tambov Turkey, a joint venture between the meat producer and Spain’s Grupo Fuertes.
The shipment will be transported by rail as it offers a faster and cheaper option compared to the sea route from the ports of St Petersburg and Novorossiysk, the company said.
Cherkizovo Group aims to ship about 2 thousand tonnes of turkey to China by the end of this year, which it expects will increase its overall turkey exports by more than double.
Growth In Poultry Exports
Andrei Terekhin, head of exports at trading company Cherkizovo, said, “Despite the impact of coronavirus on global food trade, Cherkizovo's poultry exports to China have been on the rise in the recent months, with regular monthly volumes reaching some 5 thousand tonnes or more.
“CHERKIZOVO 77, a brand we use for products made at various facilities across the Group, has gained both trust and traction among our Chinese customers, including distributors and meat processors.”
China is a key export market for the meat giant, which accounted for 40% of its total poultry exports in 2019.
Last year, Cherkizovo Group exported around 1.5 thousand tonnes of turkey globally.
Popular Product
The latest shipment to China included turkey wing pieces, a very popular product in retail chains across the country, Cherkizovo said in its statement.
Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor) convinced the Chinese authorities to add turkey by-products to the list of permitted imports from Russia, paving way for the import of turkey wings.
Tambov Turkey plans to add feedstock for China's meat processing plants to its shipments, the company added.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
