Pork is now being exported to Georgia, and exports to Armenia are awaiting confirmation from the country’s authorities.

The export of pork from the EU zone to Russia has been banned from January 2014.

The exports to Georgia started in July 2014, amounting to 150 tonnes of pork so far.

The export was facilitated by the veterinary certificate models drawn up by the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira.

“The volumes of pork exported from Finland to Russia have been so large that several new export countries must be found to replace it. Evira is helping operators to exploit alternative markets,” said Senior Inspector Joni Haapanen from Evira.

The export of pork and almost all pork products from the EU zone to Russia stopped in January 2014 due to cases of African swine fever discovered in Lithuania.

The import ban on pork has weakened the profitability of Finnish meat industry.

The Customs statistics show that Finland exported about 5,000 tonnes of pork to Russia in 2013.

Applying for Export Rights to China

Alternative markets for Finnish pork have been sought especially since the exports to Russia stopped. Export rights had already previously been applied to China, among other countries.

Despite considerable investment, they have not yet been granted.

The process of obtaining pork export rights to China was begun in 2006. Evira, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and individual companies have cooperated in preparing extensive reports for the Chinese authorities.

In August 2014, Evira hosted an inspection visit by Chinese authorities to pre-selected pig abattoirs and dairy establishments in Finland.

In the case of food exports, countries outside the EU demand adherence to their own requirements, as well as frequently extensive reports from Evira on Finland’s animal disease situation and the effectiveness of its controls.

In addition, Evira draws up veterinary certificate models specific to each export country and based on their requirements.

Export of animal products or live animals is not possible without the appropriate veterinary certification.

The certificates guarantee the safety and health of the products derived from animals or of live animals.