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Agricultural products: Meat and Meat Products

(Synthesis of the study drawn up by the Romanian Trade Promotion Centre)

 

Romania on the European Meat Market

 

According to the statistical data provided by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Romania had, in 2004, an important position among the other European countries, concerning livestock:

-      the 11-th position in pigs

-      the 12-th position in cattle

-      the 7-th position in sheep

-      the 9-th position in goats

-      the 10-th position in poultry.

concerning the level of meat production, Romania was ranked on:

-      the 16-th position in pigs

-      the 15-th position in cattle

-      the 6-th position in sheep and goats

-      the 15-th position in poultry.

 

Characteristics of Natural Resources

 

During the 2000-2004 period, the pastures and hayfields recorded a slight decrease, except 2002 and 2004, amounting to 4847.4 thousand hectares in 2004.

Cultivated area with fodder crops followed a fluctuating evolution with a maximum in 2003, 1263.1 thousand hectares, 5.8% more than 2002 and 16.6% more than 2000. The private majority ownership registered 1182.5 thousand hectares cultivated with fodder crops, accounting for 93.6% of total.

 

Cultivated Area with Fodder Crops, 2000 – 2003

 

                                                                                                                                 thousand hectares

 

2000

2001

2002

2003

Cultivated area, of which:

8499.8

8905.0

9001.6

8880.6

Fodder crops, of which:

1083.3

1011.4

1193.9

1263.1

- Lucerne

323.1

322.3

345.5

367.4

- clover

137.7

133.0

142.1

142.0

- annuals for hay and fodder

310.5

269.8

351.1

392.6

- plants used for silage

52.8

37.7

  50.5

  41.9

- fodder roots

35.6

  33.7

  35.3

  35.8

Source:  National Institute of Statistics - Romanian Statistical Yearbook 2004

 

 

Livestock and Meat Supply

 

Livestock in 2004, compared with 2000, recorded 2897 thousand head cattle  (-5.0%), 5145 thousand head pigs (- 12.0%), 7447 thousand head sheep (-8.3%), 678 thousand head goats (+21.5%). Poultry number followed an increasing evolution until 2003, amounting to 76616 thousand head in 2004, up by 10.8% against 2000.

After an increasing evolution during the 2000-2003 period, the total meat production was in decline, reaching 1550 thousand tones live-weight in 2004, up by 9.6% against 2000, but accounting for only 91.2% of the production in 2003.

 

Structure of Meat Production, 2000-2004

 

                                                                                                                  thousand tonnes live-weight

 

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Total meat, of which:

1414

1415

1604

1699

1550

  Bovine meat

  362

  357

  399

  460

  392

  Pig meat

  600

  579

  640

  669

  628

  Sheep and goat meat

  119

  112

  129

  136

  167

  Poultry meat

  327

  360

  429

  428

  356

Source:  National Institute of Statistics - Romanian Statistical Yearbook 2004

                                                                Livestock and Animal Production in 2004

 

The production recorded in 2004 compared with 2000 was as follows:        392 thousand tones bovine meat (+8.3%), 628 thousand tones pig meat (+4.7%), 167 thousand tones sheep and goat meat (+40.3%), 356 thousand tones poultry meat (+8.9%). Prepared and preserved meat production followed a fluctuating evolution over the reviewed period, reaching 154 thousand tones preparations of meat  and 21 thousand tones preserved meat.

 

Foreign Trade with Meat and Meat Products

 

Between 2000 and 2004 exports of "Live animals" (chapter 01 according to the Harmonized System) accounted for a share of 0.74%-0.94% of total exports of Romania. Imports of live animals accounted for a smaller share of total imports of Romania, in the same period.

Ţ Exports increased year-on-year from US$ 97879.5 thousand in 2000 to US$ 174796.8 thousand in 2004. The highest values in 2004 were recorded at “Live sheep and goats” US$ 99392.1 thousand and “Live bovine animals” US$ 62900.5 thousand.

Ţ Imports followed a fluctuating evolution, with the lowest value US$ 21350.1 thousand in 2000 and the highest value US$ 57201.0 thousand in 2001. Imports dropped in 2004 at US$ 29215.7 thousand, with “Live swine” (US$ 13873.2 thousand) and “Live poultry” (US$ 10319.9 thousand) on top positions.

Ţ Trade balance of chapter was positive, following a fluctuating evolution, with the lowest value of US$ 42869.9 thousand in 2001 and the highest value of US$ 145581.1 thousand in 2004. The highest sold, in 2004, was recorded at “Live sheep and goats” US$ 98949.1 thousand. The top five export partners were Greece with a share of 37.5%, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary and Syria, imports coming from France 54.7%, Austria and Other Countries.

 

Foreign Trade with Meat and Meat Products, 2000 - 2004

                                                                                                                                         US$ thousand

HS Code

HS Chapter

 

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

01

Live animals

Export

97879.5

100070.9

108547.7

153874.0

174796.8

Import

21350.1

57201.0

40205.3

22079.4

29215.7

02

Meat and edible meat offal

Export

3157.2

5448.6

7048.3

14266.6

22278.2

Import

75332.6

165793.9

190630.7

187486.8

343407.4

16

Preparations of meat, fish or crustaceans, mollusks or other aquatic invertebrates

Export

10843.1

14713.7

11119.4

11972.4

16500.6

Import

17864.6

17234.8

12319.8

14515.4

20143.4

Source: Romanian Trade Promotion Center - Database for foreign trade

 

During 2000 and 2004 exports of "Meat and edible meat offal (chapter 02 according to the Harmonized System) accounted for a share of 0.03% in 2000 and 0.09% in 2004 of total exports of Romania, in value terms. Imports of these products accounted for a share between 0.58% and 1.07%.

Ţ Exports followed a fluctuating evolution, with a minimum of US$ 3157.2 thousand in 2000 and a maximum of US$ 22278.2 thousand in 2004. “Meat and edible offal of poultry, fresh, chilled or frozen” with US$ 12327.6 thousand and “Meat of sheep or goats, fresh, chilled or frozen” with US$ 4930.5 thousand were on top positions in 2004.

Ţ Imports followed also a fluctuating evolution, reaching US$ 343407.4 thousand in 2004 when the highest values were recorded at “Meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen” US$ 221955.6 thousand and  “Meat and edible offal of poultry, fresh, chilled or frozen” US$ 86516.0 thousand.

Ţ Trade balance of chapter was negative during the surveyed period, with a deficit of US$ 321129.0 thousand in 2004, recorded mainly at “Meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen" US$ 221414.0 thousand and “Meat and edible offal of poultry, fresh, chilled or frozen” US$ 74118.4 thousand.  In 2004, Romania exported "Meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen” mainly in Panama, Netherlands, Georgia, Malta and Liberia, the imports coming from Germany, France, Canada, Spain and Netherlands. Exports of “Meat and edible offal of poultry, fresh, chilled or frozen” has been directed to Netherlands 44.0%, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Greece, the imports coming from USA 40.5%, Brazil, Netherlands, Germany and Italy.

 

 Between 2000 and 2004 foreign trade with "Preparations of meat, fish or crustaceans, mollusks or other aquatic invertebrates" (chapter 16 according to the Harmonized System) accounted for an insignificant share of total exports and imports of Romania.

Ţ Exports followed a fluctuating evolution, in 2004 reaching US$ 20143.4 thousand, when the highest value was recorded by “Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal or blood” with a 90.1% share of total chapter (US$ 14860.6 thousand).

Ţ Imports followed also a fluctuating evolution, reaching US$ 20143.4 thousand in 2004. The highest value in 2004 was achieved at “Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal or blood”, US$ 6129.7 thousand.

Ţ Trade balance of chapter was negative during the surveyed period, with the highest deficit in 2000, US$ 7021.5 thousand. In 2004 a positive balance was recorded at “Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal or blood”, US$ 8730.9 thousand. Romania exported these products mainly in the Netherlands 80.7%, followed by Italy, United Kingdom, France and Bulgaria, the imports coming from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Thailand.

 

Consumption of Meat and Meat Products

 

The total monthly expenditure per capita, in 2004, on meat and meat products accounted for a share of 28.9% of total expenditure on food products. The most expenditure (64.3%) was destined for meat.

 

       Average Monthly per Capita Consumption of Meat and Meat Products

   kilograms

 

2000

2001

   2002

   2003

   2004

Fresh meat,

          of which:

2.359

2.175

2.284

2.447

2.542

- bovine meat

0.297

0.295

0.277

0.295

0.330

- pig meat

0.883

0.747

0.720

0.790

0.859

- poultry meat

0.990

0.918

1.062

1.121

1.098

Preparations of meat

0.951

0.822

0.839

0.894

0.945

  Source:  National Institute of Statistics -  Co-ordinates of living standards in Romania. Population income and expenditure

 

The average monthly per capita consumption of fresh meat was 2.5 kg in 2004. It reached 3.5 kg if the preparations of meat were added.

The trend on medium-term for average yearly per capita consumption of meat and meat products is, in general, positive.

 

 

 

For the full content of the study, please contact:

The Romanian Trade Promotion Centre
17 Apolodor St, District 5, Bucharest
Phone: +40 21 318 50 50
Fax: + 40 21 311 14 91
E-mail: office@traderom.ro
Web site:
www.traderom.ro

 

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