Ukrainian meat processors boost imports of salo by 60% in 2014

17:38, 16.01.2015 1 min read

Ukraine boosted imports of salo (pork fat) by 60% in 2014, compared to 2013, to 70,400 tonnes, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) has reported.

"Last year production of sausages slightly fell and growth in imports was first linked to the desire of meat factories to cut production cost thanks to the use of cheap raw materials," reads the press release, citing UCAB expert Alina Zharko.

The association said that the key suppliers of salo to Ukraine were Germany (33.1% of total imports), Poland (20.7%) and Hungary (11.7%).

"The average price of imported salo last year was rather low, being $0.92 per kilogram, while in 2013 it was $1.53 per kilogram," UCAB said.

The level of prices, considering the devaluation of the hryvnia, promoted import growth.

According to the press release, imports of salo showed an upward trend in the recent years. This is explained by a shortage of hard salo used in the production of sausages in Ukraine.