A review of the world sheepmeat market: Eastern Bloc, U.S.S.R and Mongolia

Abstract

Sheep farming is an important enterprise in the U.S.S.R., Mongolia and some of the Eastern European countries. The U.S.S.R., in fact, has the largest number of sheep in the world, though production is considerably lower than that of the Oceanic countries, and is generally insufficient to satisfy domestic demand. Trade in sheep products is becoming more important for all the Eastern European countries. The U.S.S.R. has an increasing, though irregular import demand, which consists largely of mutton from N.Z. and Australia. Hungary, Bulgaria and Rumania have growing exports of both live sheep and sheep meats sold mainly to the E.E.C., but with increasing amounts going to the Middle East. Mongolia has a large, stable export trade in live sheep, the majority of which are sold to other East European countries. The expansion in trade is likely to continue through the 1980's; exports from Eastern Europe will pose greater competition for traditional exporters in world markets, but imports into U.S.S.R. will provide a continuing, sizeable market for mutton.