Decrease in demand and purchasing power of the Ukrainian population led to a shortage of pork and lard

Pork consumption per capita in Ukraine has dropped by 7 kg or 30% over the past few years, Olga Makhno, senior pork production analyst at the Ukrainian Livestock Industry Association, said during a press conference in the capital, Kiev. Despite the drop in domestic demand, the country is on the verge of a shortage of pork and lard, the main product of Ukrainian cuisine, pigprogress.net reports. The last few years have been difficult for the population of the country. The fall in purchasing power has had a major impact on consumption. According to the country's Meat Industry Association, in 2020 it was 15 kg per capita, compared with 45 kg in the European Union and 30 kg in Russia. As the director of the association Nikolay Babenko explained, the consumption of meat and dairy products in Ukraine is 2-3 times lower than the minimum level recommended by doctors. Ukraine has historically been perceived as a country of pork lovers, with a particularly high demand for lard. However, ...