Since the pace of beef production decrease is rather fast, compared to other kinds of meat, the beef share in the total output of meat in 1999 is inclined to shrink. Correspondingly, the share of pork and poultry will expand. The reduction of internal meat production is caused also by a fall of consumer demand both for meat itself and for meat products, due to higher prices in comparison with other foodstuffs. In 1999, the forecast predicts another 2 kilograms off the per capita consumption figure due to further decline of real earnings of the population. Cattle and poultry sales recede.
Farmers develop market approach to sales.
Key changes have developed in the approach to sales of agricultural produce in recent years. Farm producers gradually shift their sales from procurement organizations to free market. Payment arrears, typical for relations with procurement organizations, force producers to seek alternative channels for selling their produce, even on lower prices, but for cash money or in exchange for some goods. For example, if in 1998 the average sale price for official purchasers of cattle and fowl was 7007 thousand rubles per ton of live weight, on barter bargains 5832 thousand rubles. At the same time, the process of developing new sale channels, alternative to official purchasers of meat, proceeds slowly, that is characteristic of animal produce because of difficulties with its transportation and storage.