Ukraine-Meat production up.

UKRAINE.

MEAT PRODUCTION UP.

There has been a 10% increase in meat produced in December 2008 in the Ukraine, compared with the same period last year.

There were 78.7 thousand tons of meat offal and by products produced for the month, this included 10,700 tons of pork, 53,200 tons of poultry meat, according to figures from the Ukraine State Committee for Statistics.

Smuggling from Poland has declined, since Poland joined the EU, yet there is still a lucrative trade in small vans and cars, traveling to Polish border towns each day and loading up with contraband.

The main trade is out of date supermarket produce from Europe, that is passed its sell-by date.

There is a large trade in processed meats and fish, rejected by European supermarkets for damaged packaging or out of date.

This region with its lush fertile land, was known as Stalin’s bread basket in the Soviet Union days.