Montana Cowboy Bucks Putin’s Meat Ban With Expansion.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-14/montana-cowboy-boosts.html

Montana lone ranger Darrell Stevenson knows it’s wise to drink upstream from the herd.

When Russian PresidentVladimir Putin banned U.S. and European meat last week, the third-generation cowboy already had a leg up on the competition. With a ranch 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of Moscow, he stands to benefit from a market increasingly walled off from foreign rivals after Russia struck back against countries that imposed penalties over Ukraine.

“Sanctions in the long run aren’t good for anyone,” Stevenson said by phone after a 30-hour journey back to Hobson, Montana, from St. Petersburg on Aug. 9. “In the short term, they’ll stimulate the growth and development of domestic herds. Within a year, a considerable amount of Russian-raised beef will be available.”

Russia is scouring the world for produce ranging from Chilean salmon to Egyptian oranges to fill a $9.5 billion hole left by restrictions on food imports imposed last week. Much closer to home, the ranch near Voronezh run by Stevenson and his partners is jumping into the fray to help feed a nation of 143 million that imports about 40 percent of its beef.

With the government embarking on what Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev calls a “new page” of agricultural development in the wake of tit-for-tat sanctions, the biggest challenge for Stevenson and his team is the lack of ranch knowledge and infrastructure in the country. Collective farming in theSoviet Union focused on dairy; cows were slaughtered for beef when they started to produce less milk.

Australia, America

Before the Soviets chose guns over butter, Russia was an agricultural superpower prior to the 1917 revolution, among the world’s biggest wheat exporters with a flourishing beef industry. As the country learns again to feed itself, its ranchers have looked to the U.S. and Australia for expertise and resources.

Belgium, Brazil

“Russia has been replacing the shortfall with some beef from Holland and Belgium,” Stevenson said. “Brazil can pick up the extra slack in the meantime as it’s the largest beef producer in the world. The U.S., Canada and Argentina don’t have as many cows combined as the single cow herd of Brazil.”

Stevenson said it was too early to say how much meat his ranch can provide and at what price.

“There is no reason why beef raised and slaughtered in Russia can’t be cheaper,” he said “In terms of quality, there has to be a proper and consistent grading system introduced.”

Montana cowboy Darrell Stevenson stands in a paddock with calves at the ranch in Shestakovo village, Voronezh, Russia. As Russia learns again to feed itself, its ranchers have looked to the U.S. and Australia for expertise and resources.