Russia-Milk and Meat production up.

RUSSIA-DAIRY PRODUCTION INCREASES.

Russia increased meat and milk production, while egg production was down insignificantly compared to 2007.

As Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) reported on Tuesday, slaughter livestock and poultry production was up 6.5% year-on-year to 9.3 million tons. Milk production grew by 1.1% to 32.4 million tons. At the same time, egg production dropped 0.3% to 37.8 billion pcs.

In December, livestock and poultry production was up 17.4% to 1.3 million tons, milk production increased 1.5% to 2 million tons, egg production grew by 4.8% to 3.1 billion eggs.

Pursuant to Rosstat data, as of the end of December 2008 cattle stock in farms of all agricultural producers amounted to 21.1 million heads (down 2.6% compared to the same period in 2007). Cow stock totaled to 9.2 million heads (down 1.3%). Pig numbers totaled to 16.3 million heads (up 1.2%), sheep and goat herd was up 2.7% to 21.6 million heads.

In livestock structure, farm population represented the following rates: 47.5% of cattle livestock, 38.8% of pigs, and 52.1% of sheep and goats (as of the end of December 2007 – 46.9%, 42.6% and 51.8%, respectively).

According to Rosstat information, in 2008 agricultural product manufacturing value in farms of all grades (in current prices) totaled to 2 trillion 602.7 billion rubles, up 10.8% from 2007. In December the production grew by 4.5% to 104.9 billion rubles.