Swine fever causes huge losses for meat-packing plants

“Any meat-packing plant will tell you that the supplies have reduced in comparison with 2013. They have decreased by about 40%, or almost by half,” Babruisk meat-packing plant told Euroradio.

They blame African swine fever that hit Belarus last year. About 500 thousand pigs were killed back then and there is not enough meat for making sausages now. The supplies to Russia are decreasing; there is no foreign currency influx.  The last coup de grace was the ban imposed on the import of Polish pork – African swine fever had been registered there.

That is why the fact that meat-packing plants are loss-makers is not a surprise. Barysau meat-packing plant tops the list. The enterprise lost over 250 billions last year. It is five times more than in 2012. Notorious Slutsk meat-packing plant is in the fifth position. It lost over 130 billion roubles. Zhlobin meat-packing plant is number 9 – it lost almost 100 billions. Babruisk, Kalinkavichy, Homel, Hlybokaye and Orsha meat-packing plants at the the end of the list. They lost from 74 to 61 billion. By the way, Hlybokaye, Kalinkavichy and Homel meat-packing plants made a profit and did not suffer any losses in 2012.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Vasil Sedzin has promised to restore the head of pigs next year. It means that meat-packing plants will restore their normal level of production at the end of 2015. Will they be able to preserve the lost markets by then?

Meanwhile, Slutsk meat-packing plant claims to have restored the old level of production. The President made a devastating visit to the plant not long ago.

“Some workshops were closed at first but I think all of them are functioning now. But repair works are still in process.”

Belarusians can also feel the problems caused by the lack of pork. A kilo of good pork costs 160 thousand roubles in Minsk now. If you are lucky to find any.