Putin: Import Substitution in Russia is Temporary Phenomenon

The import substitution in Russia is a temporary phenomenon, a temporary tool for adjusting the current situation, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

“The idea of import substitution itself is not universal and is not what we should strive for in the long run, because import substitution should not undermine competition. This is an extremely important thing,” Putin said at a meeting with women entrepreneurs.

“We should understand, that all this import substitution is a temporary phenomenon. I want you to understand this. This is a temporary tool to adjust to the current situation,” he stressed.

“We should aim at producing such products of such quality and at such a price that it is competitive not on our own, but on the world market,” Putin added.

According to him, import substitution is primarily related to ensuring the security of the country, for example, in the defense industry. As an example Putin mentioned the fact that Russia has begun to produce marine engines, engines for helicopters, and this is being done compulsorily.

“In some cases we did it and are doing it to support the domestic producer in difficult economic conditions, especially in the situation when our partners violate and distort competition by imposing different sanctions, which are politically motivated, as they claim, but in fact are based on the ambition to gain an advantage,” he added.

www.tass.com

Azerbaijan: the Main Tomato Supplier to Russia in 2017

Russian media, the citing Federal Customs Committee, reported that Azerbaijan was the leading tomato exporter to Russia in 2017.

Azerbaijan increased its export volume by 50 percent to 151,000 MT (worth some $151 million dollars). Azerbaijan’s share in the Russian tomato import increased from 22 percent in 2016 to 30 percent in 2017.

According to en.trend.az, Russia accounted for 99.8 percent of Azerbaijan’s total tomato export in 2017. China held the second place with 109,000 MT (a 26 percent year-on-year increase). Morocco went down to the third place (from the first place it held in 2016). The country’s share correspondingly decreased to 23 percent with 97,000 MT. Belarus with 70,000 MT and Iran with 9,000 MT also entered the Top 5.

www.freshplaza.com

Russian fruit and vegetable imports partially recovered

When compared to the previous year, Russian imports of fresh fruit and vegetables have increased considerably over the last year. A total of 7,1 million MT was imported, 17% more than in 2016. It is, however, not nearly as much as in 2013. In the year before the boycott came into force, Russia imported almost 8,5 million MT of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The (partial) recovery of the imports is, firstly, due to the boycott of various Turkish products being lifted in 2017. In addition, a record volume of (Ecuadorian) bananas and products from other countries were imported. The most important of these countries are China, Egypt, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. The record volume of banana imports is particularly noticeable. Last year, Russia surpassed Germany and is now the second largest importer of bananas in the world, besides the United States. Russia also imported a record volume of mandarins, it’s second most popular import product. Russia is by far this product’s most important import country. Russia’s import volumes of all other regularly consumed products also rose in 2017. This country’s import volumes of lesser-known products, such as kaki, garlic, watermelon, celery, avocado, and mangoes, also reached record highs in the past year. (more…)

Food Imports Increased in 2017 Pushed by Fruit and Veg Purchases

The import of food into Russia increased by 6% in 2017, according to data from the Federal Customs Service.

There hadn’t been growth for several years. After the collapse of the rouble and the introduction of the import ban in 2014, the import of products had been greatly reduced. In 2016, the country imported 20% less food than two years earlier.

The main reason why this trend is changing is due to the fact that Russia has been importing more fruit and vegetables.

“The import of fruit has grown due to the greater volumes of cherries and grapes from Turkey, bananas from Ecuador or citrus fruits from South Africa,” explained the Federal Customs Service.

Besides, several countries which are not subject to sanctions have also increased the sale of vegetables to Russia.

Experts say that the stronger rouble is also helping boost imports. The cost of foreign products is declining, and consumption is increasing. This indicates that foreign vegetables are not being replaced by domestic ones, but that people have been eating more vegetables and fruits, so suppliers have been buying more.

www.freshplaza.com

Ingredients Russia 2018

Ingredients Russia

February 27 – March 2, 2018

Crocus Expo, Moscow, Russia

Ingredients Russia is a specialised exhibition for ingredients suppliers and consumers from around the world.

For the past sixteen years, the Ingredients Russia exhibition has reflected trends in the industry. Developers, manufacturers and suppliers of raw materials and ingredients for the food industry prepare innovative products specifically for presentation at the exhibition.

More than 7000 industry professionals visit the exhibition in search of new ingredients to improve product quality, create new products, and improve production cost-effectiveness.

For more information see: www.ingred.ru

Russian Apple Production is a Long Way From Self Sufficiency

Despite efforts to become self-sufficient in apple production after the embargo, recent figures confirm that the country is far from being able to produce enough apples to meet domestic consumption.

According to the Ministry of Health, the average Russian consumes 50 kg of apples per year, yet, according to AB-Center, recent total production would only amounts to 5.8 kg per year per consumer. This amount includes all apples, including those for processing, so when it comes to the amount of apples for fresh consumption, the amount per person would fall even lower.

Although it seems like self-sufficiency is far from a reality, Rosstat has estimated that the total production of top fruits, a majority of these being apples, did grow by 15% in 2016. In addition, independent experts have reported that the share of imported products on shelves has, for the first time in many years, given way to Russian apples.

Although apple imports have decreased since the embargo, a recent report from UN Comtrade said that Russia is still number 3 on the list of largest apple importers in the world in 2016, with a share of 6%, totalling 678,600 mt of fresh apples. This amount had already reached 622,200 mt in the first 11 months of 2017.

In the first half of 2017, the majority of apple imports were coming in from Serbia and Moldova, with 32.1% and 26.2%, respectively. Other major suppliers include China, Belarus, Chile, Azerbaijan, South Africa and New Zealand. Bosnia and Herzegovina had also been a significant apple importer to Russia, but this is currently on hold after Rosselkhoznadzor placed a ban on the country following suspicions that they were exporting apples from Poland as their own.

www.freshplaza.com

Agricultural Watchdog Allows Five More Turkish Enterprises to Supply Tomatoes to Russia

Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has allowed five more Turkish enterprises to supply tomatoes to Russia from February 1, 2018, the regulator said in a press release.The permission was granted under the guarantee of the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.

Experts of Rosselkhoznadzor inspected those enterprises in December 2017. “The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control informs that from February 1, 2018, under the guarantees of Turkey’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, it allowed five more enterprises to import tomatoes of the Turkish origin into the territory of the Russian Federation,” the ministry said.

Russia imposed a ban on imports of a number of farming products from Turkey from January 1, 2016 following the November 2015 incident with a Russian Su-24 fighter jet that was downed Turkish warplanes while returning from an anti-terrorism mission in Syria.

In November 2017, Russia allowed imports of up to 50,000 tonnes of tomatoes from Turkey. So far only three Turkish suppliers have been granted permits to supply tomatoes to Russia. The first shipment of tomatoes was delivered in mid-November 2017.

www.tass.com

Beviale Moscow 2018

Beviale Moscow 2018

February 27 – March 1, 2018

Crocus Expo, Moscow

The third international trade fair in Russia covering the entire beverage production and marketing value chain takes place from 6 to 8 October 2015 in the form of Beviale Moscow. As an offshoot of the BrauBeviale exhibition in Nuremberg, it is taking the successful Beviale family recipe to the Russian market. Internationally renowned exhibitors will be devising innovative, locally adapted solutions through direct communication with Russian customers.

For more information see: www.beviale-moscow.com

Egyptian Fruit and Veg Exports to Russia: 77% of the Total Exports

Egyptian minister of Trade and Industry, Tarek Kabil, announced that Egyptian exports to Russian markets increased by 32.8% from January to November 2017, reaching $464.8 mln compared to $350 mln during the same period of 2016.

For his part, Ahmed Antar, first deputy minister of Trade and Industry and head of the Egyptian Commercial Service Office, said that the intensive promotional efforts carried out by the Egyptian Commercial Office in Moscow resulted in providing more export opportunities.

Nasser Hamed, head of the Egyptian Commercial Office in Moscow, said that Egyptian exports of vegetables and fruits to Russia increased by 39%. Thereby they were amounting to about $359 mln in the first 11 months of 2017, compared to about $258.5 mln during the same period of 2016.

He pointed out that Egyptian exports of vegetables and fruits to Russia represent 77% of the total Egyptian exports to Russia.

Kabil assured that currently there are still negotiations with the Eurasian Economic Union about the road map for the free trade areas (FTA) agreement, scheduled to be launched in the next few months. The Eurasian Economic Union includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan, so this agreement will increase bilateral trade relations between Egypt and the markets of these countries.

www.freshplaza.com

Prodexpo 2018

  Prodexpo 

  February 5-9, 2018

  Expocentre, Moscow

 

PRODEXPO is the largest annual specialized exhibition in Russia and Eastern Europe. For more than 20 years, it has determined the development of the domestic food industry. Over the years of its existence, the PRODEXPO exhibition has played an important role in stimulating the Russian food industry. Promoting high-quality foodstuffs to the domestic market, the PRODEXPO trade show contributes to implementing high-priority federal projects aimed at improving the quality of life of the Russian citizens. The program of the exhibition includes seminars, conferences, master classes.

More information www.prod-expo.ru