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

Russia Renews Ban on Import of Apples from Bosnia and Herzegovina

About a year and a half after the regular export of BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina) apples in Russia was resumed, the ban is set to take effect again. The reason behind this is that inspections have once more determined that some enterprises in Republika Srpska violate the agreement.

The ban had originally been imposed when there was a problem with the origin of the apples: although they appeared as RS products, they turned out not to be. They  originated, in fact, from other countries. The agreement between Russia and BiH says that apples and other fruit and vegetables must be an original BiH product, not the product from third countries.

Balkaneu.com reported that Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH, Mirko Šarović, confirmed that the Russian Federation has again imposed a ban on imports of apples from BiH that comes into force Monday, January 22. He explained that the certificate for controversial apples was issued by the phytosanitary inspection in Brcko District, BiH, and transported to the Russian market as a local product.

www.freshplaza.com

Fruit Logistica 2018

  Fruit Logistica

  7-9 February

  Messe Berlin GmbH, Messedamm 22, Berlin, Germany

More than 2,600 exhibitors and 62,000 trade visitors attend Fruit Logistica every year. They see it as the ideal place to establish and build the personal trust which is so essential for dealing successfully in perishable products such as fresh fruit and vegetables. FRUIT LOGISTICA covers every single sector of the fresh produce business and provides a complete picture of the latest innovations, products and services at every link in the international supply chain. It thus offers superb networking and contact opportunities to the key decision-makers in every sector of the industry.

The entire spectrum of the fresh fruit and vegetable sector:

  • Fresh fruit and vegetables
  • Dried fruit and nuts
  • Packaging and labelling
  • Transport and logistical systems
  • Produce handling and storage
  • Press and media
  • Computer and internet solutions
  • Cultivation systems

More information www.fruitlogistica.de

Russian Economy Suddenly Shrinks in November

Russia’s economy unexpectedly contracted in November, hit by a drop in industrial production, the economy ministry said on Monday.

Gross domestic product shrank 0.3 percent year on year in November, the economy ministry said, contrasting with analysts’ consensus call for a 1.5 percent growth.

Russia’s oil-dependent economy was on the mend in 2017 after two years of recession, triggered by a sharp drop in global commodity prices as well as sanctions imposed by Western countries against Moscow for its role in the Ukrainian crisis.

In November, GDP was dragged down by the industrial sector where output contracted 3.6 percent compared with a year ago. The economy ministry said it blamed the weaker industrial output on the global agreement of major oil producers, including Russia, to limit crude production in order to prop up commodity prices. The ministry also said the industrial output sank because of the warm weather, which pressured demand for natural gas on either domestic and foreign markets. (more…)

China: Fruit and Veg Exports to Russia up 28% from Heilongjiang

According to the Office of Statistics, the fruit and vegetable export form Heilongjiang increased greatly in 2017. The total export volume of fruit and vegetables was 72.900 MT, with a value of 35,971,200 USD. That is an increase in export volume of 28.8% in comparison with the same period in the previous year, and an increase in value of 28.41%. This is a new high point in the history of fruit and vegetable transport from Heilongjiang port to Russia.

www.freshplaza.com

Russia Has Destroyed 19,000 MT of Food Since Import Ban

Over 19,000 tons of banned western food products have been destroyed as of Tuesday, Jan. 9, Russia’s state agriculture watchdog said in a statement published on its website. The ban was introduced in August 2014 in retaliation to Western sanctions imposed on Russia following its annexation of the Crimean peninsula. Since then, the country has destroyed hundreds of tons of fruits and vegetables, cheeses and livestock products.

Only 278 tons of the confiscated products remained untouched, Rosselkhoznadzor added.

The practice of destroying foods dates back to August 2015, a month after President Vladimir Putin ordered the physical destruction of fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat and other agricultural products imported to Russia from the blacklisted countries.

The ban has been extended until late 2018.

Meanwhile, the EU has demanded 1.4 billion euros in compensation from Russia for banned pork.

www.themoscowtimes.com

Russia’s Economic Growth Expected to Reach 1.8-2% in 2017

Russia’s economic growth in 2017 is expected to stand at 1.8 to two percent, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Sunday.

“This year, we expect an economic growth of 1.8%-2%,” he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

In mid-December, Russia’s Central Bank forecasted the country’s economic growth in 2017 at 1.7-2.2%. The Bank’s governor, Elvira Nabiullina, said back that that the forecast leaned “to the lower threshold.” In 2018, Russia’s economic growth, as predicted by the Central Bank, will be in a range from 1.5 to 2%

www.tass.com

Unanimous EU Extends Russia Sanctions

The European Union has extended the sanctions against Russia by six months. The sanctions were activated in 2014 as a response to the Russian annexation of the Crimea. Later the sanctions were linked to the carrying out of the Minsk accords, which aim for a cease fire in Eastern Ukraine. For now the country remains full of unrest.

Unlike previous extensions there was little attention paid to it in the run up. In previous years when the decision was made there was some protests from member states, national government or lower government. Donald Tusk, president of the European Commission, summed it up in a Tweet: “EU united on roll-over of economic sanctions on Russia.”

This decision has no short term consequences on the boycott of fruit and vegetables from Europe that Russia imposed as a response to the sanctions. Russia announced they would be maintaining the boycott until the end of 2018 when the sanctions were last extended. In the European Parliament last month there were parliamentarians who agreed that the EU should be doing more to tackle the consequences of the boycott. European Commissioner Hogan responded that there were enough measures in place to limit the damage of the boycott.

www.freshplaza.com

Russia Limits Import of Fruit and Vegetables from Kazakhstan

The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) reported on the imposition of restrictions on the import of vegetables and fruits from Kazakhstan.

According to the department, December 1-8, 2017 more than 4,000 MT of quarantined products were imported from Kazakhstan. 26 cases of violations of phytosanitary requirements were discovered.

www.tks.ru