Republic of Altai to export deer antlers to China

BARNAUL, August 9 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Republic of Altai will supply
elk and reindeer antlers to China's markets.
At present, the region exports this material widely used in eastern
medicine only to South Korea, the republic's Agriculture Minister, Sergei
Ognev, told reporters on Monday.
Elk-breeding is one of the priorities in the republic's cattle
breeding.
In the near future the Republic of Altai will develop a special
program to boost elk and reindeer breeding until 2017.
"The main task of the program is to produce high-quality antlers as
much as possible, process them and send to target markets. The program
envisions financial support for elk-breeding farms," he said.
Elk and reindeer breeding is of great importance for the economic
development of the Republic of Altai.
There are 57,000 elks and around 4,000 dapple deer in the republic.
Altai produces around 40 tonnes of unossified antlers and processes around
5 tonnes. The rest is exported to foreign countries.

-0-isk/gor