Beef production

In 2011 several factors affected the situation in livestock and meat production in Ukraine. Firstly, the increase of business activity in some sectors of Ukraine’s economy and gradual improvement in people’s purchasing power had a positive impact on the foodstuff consumption by the population as a whole. Secondly, the tendency to reduce an import share in domestic consumption of meat and meat products remained. 

The domestic livestock production increases a meat supply level of Ukraine. Thus, in the year of 2008 the import meat share was 23%, in 2009 – 19%, and in 2010 – 16%. Based on the statistics of 2010, meat consumption rate was 52 kg per capita, which exceeded the previous year index by 6.6% (+62% comparing to2000).

Presently the major challenges in the meat branch are severe competition, serious deficit of raw material, high dependence of price level on the farm market situation on the one hand, and on people’s purchasing power on the other hand.

Within the period f June 2010 – June 2011, a general tendency to reduction by 0, 22 th t monthly is observed in beef and veal (fresh or chilled) production (Fig. 12). However, quite recently (last six months) the output of the above-mentioned product has increased by 26.3%, but it is less than during the same period in 2010 by 46.7 points.

The highest setback in beef and veal (fresh or chilled) production as compared with the previous month is recorded in April (-7.7% or – 0.4 th t) and in May (-8.3% or 0.4 th t). And in June 2011 in comparison with May the index reached its former level and beef and veal (fresh or chilled) output was equal to 4.8 th t again.

Fig.12. Output of beef and veal (fresh or chilled), 2009-211 (data of National Statistics Department)

The last year (June 2010 – June 2011) was characterized by the reduction tendency (0,044 th t monthly) in beef and chilled veal production. Having reached its lowest point in January 2011 (0.3 th t), beef and chilled veal production revived and 1.7 th t was produced last month, which exceeded its May index by 66.7% (Fig. 13). As compared with June 2009 and 2010 the production was reduced by 41.4 and 15.0%, respectively.