Author Archives: CrispConsulting

Prices for fruit and vegetables to drop in August

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Fresh produce prices are expected to drop in Russia between August and September. This is said to be down to a number of factors; the arrival of the new harvest to market, import substitution and the slowing down of the rate of inflation.

Experts believe that primarily fruit and vegetable prices will fall, to a lesser degree livestock prices will be affected and the prices of goods of mass demand will not be affected at all. However, by the end of September, prices will most likely have returned to their previous figures.

However, Alla Dvoretskaya, Head of the Department of Economics and Finance at RANEPA (Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration), notes that the decline in prices for fruit and vegetables is not surprising in this period. This situation is an annual trend. Exceptions are only possible under such adverse events as crop failure or a ban on the import of certain products.

www.freshplaza.com

Russian embargo caused Turkey to lose $209m in Q1

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Russia’s Economic Development Ministry said in its report for January – June 2016 that Turkey lost $209 mln in the Q1 of 2016 due to the food embargo introduced by Russia on certain imports to the country.

“Import of goods prohibited from January 1, 2016, to enter the Russian Federation from Turkey, in the Q1 of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015 decreased by $209.1 mln,” the document said.

The Russian government banned supplies of a number of food products from Turkey to Russia from January 1, 2016. Fruits (oranges, tangerines, grapes, apples, pears, apricots, peaches and nectarines, plums, wild strawberries and strawberries) and vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli, yellow onions) were banned. The restrictive measures were adopted after the Turkish air forces shut down the Russian Su-24 bomber over the territory of Syria.

As TASS reported earlier, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Services of Russia and Turkey are going to hold consultations on removing restrictions in trade of Turkish agricultural products.

However, earlier Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev told journalists that Russia is in no hurry to open its market for Turkey, because it is necessary to support domestic producers.

www.freshplaza.com

Azerbaijan export growing

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According to Azerbaijan’s Minister of Agriculture, the country intends to increase its exports. The Minister, Heydar Asadov said that in the first half of the year agricultural exports rose by 27.5% year on year, including fruit exports which increased by 13.1%, and vegetable exports which increased by 33.1%.

”Currently 7.4% of the tomatoes appearing on Russian markets come from Azerbaijan, while last year this figure was only 1%. What is remarkable is that for the first time, beans, rice, barley and millet feed, dried fruit, and livestock- meat and dairy products, are being exported,” said the minister.

According to him, exports have also expanded geographically, along with the traditional Russian market, exports have begun to Iran, UAE, Turkey, Iraq and Turkmenistan.

www.freshplaza.com

Russia and Turkey hold high-level talks

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High-level talks between officials from Russian and Turkey will be held for the first time since the jet crisis, with visits by Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli and Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci to Moscow on Tuesday 26 July. The talks aim to increase cooperation in fields such as energy, food, agriculture, tourism, transportation and foreign trade.

The high-level meetings are expected to usher in the new period to come, helping to increase Turkey’s exports of agricultural goods as well as its revenues from tourism and the construction sector.

According to the schedule, the Russian media reported that Canikli and his Russian counterpart Arkady Dvorkovich will first hold inter-committee meetings followed by bilateral meetings.

On the other hand, according to the announcement made by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Zeybekci and Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukaev will meet to discuss the economic relations between the two countries.

Furthermore, Russian media expects a bilateral meeting to be held between Zeybekci and Russian minister of energy, Alexander Novak.

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Dimity Medvedev on Saturday signed a decree for the continuation of commercial and economic relations with Turkey. The decree for the continuation of mid-term commercial, economic, scientific and cultural collaboration with Turkey until 2019 came into effect, according to a statement the Russian government’s press office released on Saturday.

The statement also suggests that negotiations for the establishment of a common fund to finance investment projects in Russia and Turkey will resume.

Medvedev announced that Russia will lift economic sanctions on Turkey “on a gradual basis.”

www.freshplaza.com

Belgium parliament to consider resolution on lifting EU sanctions against Russia

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Belgium’s parliament has registered for further consideration a resolution on lifting of the European Union’s sanctions against Russia, author of the draft resolution MP Aldo Carcaci told TASS on Sunday.

The member of the parliament said the draft resolution discussion may be organized after the parliamentary holidays.

The EU economic sanctions against Russia remain in force to January 31, 2017. This autumn, the EU Council will have a wide discussion on further relations between the European Union and Russia, including milder sanctions or lifting them.

www.tass.ru

46% of Russians grow their own fruit, veg

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Almost half of Russian families own summer houses and grow fruit and vegetables there, reveals a study by the company GfK. In fact 46% of families grow their own produce which they consume fresh or preserve. Experts are of the opinion that the desire of Russians to spend time in the country and cultivate their own produce is already affecting and will continue to affect the market sales of consumer goods in the future.

By growing their own produce, Russians have two main objectives: to provide organic food for their families, as well as providing fruit and vegetables for preserving – says the study. This may have a negative effect on growth. This can be seen in the frozen vegetables category, the sales volume of which have decreased by 19.4%. According to GfK, manufacturers and retailers now need to study the consumption situation in detail and find new motivation to encourage shoppers, by successfully adapting the product offering to the new conditions. Presently sales are directed to discounts and promotions due to the crisis conditions.

www.freshplaza.com

Russia boycotts Afghanistan and Somalia

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Russian authorities have proclaimed a temporary boycott of cherries from Afghanistan and nectarines from Somalia. The Russians suspect that European products are being smuggled into the country hidden among these products. The import ban also applies to re-export from other countries. The Russian phytosanitary service wants to prevent smuggling with this measure. Some African countries are also boycotted because of alleged smuggling. According to Russian authorities countries are exporting products they did not export previously, and that is suspicious. Russia says it has already discovered 600 cases of falsified certificates accompanying African products.

An example Russian authorities like to use: 8,733 tonnes of fresh produce was imported from Benin this year, including 1,400 tonnes of peaches, 899 tonnes of nectarines and 310 tonnes of kiwi fruits. These products were imported via the EU. Upon inquiry from the Benin ambassador in Moscow, the country proved not to cultivate stone fruit and kiwi fruit all.

In recent weeks several batches were destroyed, including: 4.5 tonnes of Czech peaches, 1.2 tonnes of Turkish cherries, 2 tonnes of Polish apples, 1.6 tonnes of Czech nectarines, 7.7 tonnes of Ukrainian cherries, 19 tonnes of Polish cherries and 19.5 tonnes of Polish apples. Furthermore, a series of anonymous products were destroyed, including 1.5 tonnes of cherries, 1.1 tonnes of grapes and 1.8 tonnes of nectarines.

www.freshplaza.com

More Russian think that sanction affect their lives

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The number of Russians, who believe that Russian Food Ban imposed by the Russian authorities, affects their lives, increased by 14% (from 26% to 40%), according to the Fund of Public Opinion (FOM). The number of those who consider the impact of the Food Ban negative grew by 8%.

47% of Russians believe that anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the West on the country’s economy have an effect, a year ago that number was 40%. 58% of respondents believe that the sanctions against Russia directly affect their lives. The number of those who do not think that sanctions affect their lives fell from 51% to 38%.

65% of Russians do not doubt that the Russian Food Ban have an affect on the countries from which the export of products was prohibited –  the EU, the United States, Australia, Canada and Norway, last year the figure was 3% more. At the same time, 39% believe that the embargo is beneficial for Russia, and 31% believe that the ban harms the national economy. A year ago, 47% of respondents thought that the effect of these restrictions was positive, and only 23% of Russians considered it negative. The number of Russians, who believe that Food Ban imposed by the Russian authorities affects their lives, increased by 14% – from 26% to 40%.

However, 82% of respondents still consider the Food Ban as a right thing. According to the Russians, the main arguments in its favor are “a response to sanctions against Russia”, “need to support domestic producers”, “we can provide for ourselves”, “domestic products better for health than imported ones”.

61% of respondents think that sanctions against Russia are the trade restrictions and a ban on entry into some countries for some individuals.

At the same time, a year ago 23% of Russians believed that the sanction would be lifted soon, now, only a tenth of the population thinks so.

www.retailer.ru

Putin signed the law prohibiting the production of genetically modified products

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law to ban the cultivation and breeding of genetically modified plants and animals, except in cases where they will be used in testing and scientific research.

The document was published on the legal information portal on Monday.

“Growing plants and animals, whose genetic program is changed with methods of genetic engineering and who contain genetically engineered material that cannot be a result of natural processes, is banned except for growing such plants and animals while conducting evaluations as well as for research and development,” the document said.

Importers of genetically modified products should pass registration procedures, while their products could be banned after monitoring of their impact on people’s health and environment.

The legislation also sets penalties for breaching the law, from about $160 to around $780 for officials and from about $1,600 to around $7,800 for legal entities.

Dozens of countries worldwide, including Russia, require food producers to label genetically modified foods, with opponents of GMOs arguing that the health risks associated with such products have not been adequately studied.

www.sputniknews.com

Russia prolongs Western food embargo until end of 2017

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that prolongs economic sanctions on some Western products from August of this year until the end of 2017.

A ban on importing certain agricultural produce, foods and raw materials from countries that have sanctioned Russia was first introduced in the summer of 2014. Moscow extended its counter measures in response to anti-Russia sanctions in June last year.

The latest decree, aimed at “protecting Russia’s national interests,” followed suggestions put forward by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in late May. Medvedev tasked the government with preparing a package of measures that would potentially be in force until late 2017. The draft package was then introduced to the president.

Putin’s decree says that the government may offer proposals to change the ban’s terms “when necessary.”

www.rt.com