Russia-Mutton production.

Within the global economic recession mutton production output will be down 1.8% in volume in 2009 to the level of 2007. Import supply will also slow down 3-fold in volume in 2009 against 2008. The market volume will remain at the level of the previous year.

As it is noted in research of Express-Obzor, if we observe Russian sheep breeding before the crisis, then we may say that it fell behind such sectors as pig and poultry breeding.

Mutton production had no state support in a view of expensiveness of this meat and as a consequence, low demand for it on the part of population. Moreover, there were no industrial slaughterhouses and places of sheep meat first processing in the country. There was no interest in sheep breeding especially in meat sheep breeding on the part of large farms as well. Thus, after the downturn of the production in 2006, within the frames of the national priority project "Agricultural Complex Development" in direction "Animal Breeding Fast Development" the government of the Russian Federation invested 300m rubles in sheep breeding sector. It had a positive impact on Russian producers: in 2007 mutton production was up 40% against the previous year.

Mutton production is localized in three federal districts in Russia. Thereat, more than 50% of mutton is produced in Southern Federal District.