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The population of the new market to which the Colombian poultry sector can now export chicken is around 168 million potential consumers
That was the announcement by the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor), after certifying four chicken processing plants in Colombia and allowing the Customs Union composed of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia to import the product.
" This is the result of four years of working with ICA, INVIMA, the Colombian Embassy in Russia and the chicken processing plants. This is an important market given its size and consumption, and because it is a new path towards diversification," explained PROCOLOMBIA president Maria Claudia Lacouture.
The four companies certified (Acondesa, Vencedor, Idecampo and Bucanero) will now have access to the Customs Union territory, which is known for its lack of customs tariffs and economic restrictions between the member countries, as well as its import volumes.
According to information from Trademap, Russia alone imported USD 845.6 million in 2012 in fresh or refrigerated poultry and edible offal products, nearly USD 253 million more than in 2011. The United States and Brazil were their main providers.
In addition to imports, the internal consumption of chicken also grew in 2012. In total, consumption increased 7% with 3.1 million tons in the year, representing an average consumption of 22 kg per person for Russia' s 143 million population (according to the FAO).
According to PROCOLOMBIA' s information, this increase is due to a new trend, in particular in the middle class, to change from beef or pork meat to poultry due to its low cost and convenience compared to other meats. Kazakhstan imported USD 212.4 million, 16.8% more than in 2011.
" We are training entrepreneurs so that they can take advantage of commercial opportunities offered by these three countries. The idea is to advise them about various topics such as regulations, access conditions, market size, consumer trends, labeling, prices and distribution channels," said Lacouture.
According to PROCOLOMBIA studies, the first thing Russian consumers take into account when buying in supermarkets is the product' s freshness, followed by its tenderness and succulence. With regard to the type of packaging, they prefer cellophane film or vacuum packing, followed by plastic bags and trays.
PROCOLOMBIA also found that the market applies a volume discount policy, that meat injected and treated with chlorine is prohibited, and that in-person meetings with the importer are key given that these can accelerate the buying process.
What' s Next
According to the president of PROCOLOMBIA, the entity has scheduled a series of promotional activities. In addition to the training seminars, it will support Colombian companies' participation in specialized fairs such as Prodexpo, World Food and PIR in Moscow.
Additionally, in the last quarter of 2013 PROCOLOMBIA will support a visit by Russian importers to Colombian production plants, as well as publications in magazines and specialized web sites such as Russian Food and Drinks Market Magazine.
The Russian Context
The process to open the Russian market began with beef in 2006, the year in which the Russian Sanitary Service visited Colombia to verify foot and mouth disease prevention and control work, in addition to inspecting Colombian meat packing plants to analyze their compliance with Russian quality standards.
Having complied with the hygiene requirements demanded by the Russian authorities, the sanitary export license was granted in March 2011. In that year, seven Colombian meat packing plants received an export license granted by the Russian Veterinary Service (Rosselkhoznadzor).
With the approval to export chicken, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance also updated beef licenses.
