China has become the largest buyer of Russian beef, increasing its supplies 20 times in the first quarter of 2021, according to the Russian Agricultural Bank's quarterly report. The country's share in Russia's beef exports exceeded 55%, with Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan also among the leading exporters. The growth is attributed to the need to compensate for the drop in domestic pork production due to African swine fever. Despite a decrease in beef meat imports, Russia's beef production remained steady at 314 thousand tons, with a forecasted growth of 1.5% per year.