Russia has reduced apple imports in the current season, according to the official statistics.
Imports in November amounted just to 117,000 tons, a decrease of 8% compared with the same month of the previous season.
Russia’s cumulative imports of apples in July-November 2013 totaled 350,000 tons, a decrease of 12% year-on-year.
In the season 2012/13 the Russian Federation imported 1.34 mln tons of apples with Poland, Moldova, China, Azerbaijan and Serbia being the largest exporters.
The Russian veterinary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor may ban imports of beef from Australia starting January 15 due to the detection of trenbolone, a steroid used to increase muscle growth in livestock, which is banned in Russia.
“The Australian veterinary service has time before January 15 to review the lists of suppliers to Russia and exclude those using trenbolone from them,” Rosselkhoznadzor chief Sergei Dankvert told Interfax. “If this is not done and the Australian veterinary service continues to simply sign veterinary certificates, we will have to limit beef imports from all enterprises that are on the list of suppliers to Russia,” Dankvert said. This measure will primarily concern suppliers of chilled beef, which is considered a higher-risk product, he said.
What makes the situation more complicated is that, in addition to trenbolone-containing meat discovered earlier, new such cases have been revealed lately, Dankvert said. “In addition to two companies that were earlier found to export meat containing the growth stimulant, two more have joined now,” Dankvert said, adding that beef imports from Australia are under Rosselkhoznadzor’s special control.
“The enterprises caught [on using trenbolone] will be deprived of the right to ship meat to Russia, but if such discoveries become massive, protection measures will be different,” he said.
Australia is among major beef suppliers to Russia. The list of beef exporters includes 47 enterprises, and imports to Russia from 8 of them have been banned for various reasons.
$7.65 per 1 kilogram is the highest price in 10 years for this season, said the Association of produce and trade companies of fish market. In comparison with last year’s same period Norway chilled salmon price increased by 60%. Norway suppliers refer to tough weather conditions – due to them the price of transportation highly increased. As result the price to consumer grew up respectively.
The Association of fish market says that the same factor will also influence the price in future. “In other words, Norwegians will be able to sell fish at a price that does not have any market explanation. That means they can set any price”, – the Association says. Also the Association thinks that the situation worsened due to the lack of competition – now Norwegians are the only suppliers of salmon. Last year Polish companies could compete with them, but in the beginning of 2013 all big fish farming companies fell under Norway companies’ control.
According to Russian the Federal Fisheries Agency’s predictions, in 2013 the salmon market is 400,000 tons, 150,000 tons of which is Norway salmon. According to Norway Fish Committee, during period January-October 2013 the supply of fish and seafood from Norway to Russia decreased by 17.3% – till 224,700 tons. In monetary terms the import increased by 6.1% – till €630 million. Imports of Norway salmon decreased by 18.2% – till 87,000 tons while the average price of supplies increased by 37.8% – till €4.65 per kilogram. Imports of trout shrank by 14.1% – till 21,900 tons while costs increased by 37.8% – till €4.97 per kilogram.
Alexandr Savelyev, the representative of the Russian Federal Fisheries Agency, interprets the situation as an “outrage”. “In Russia the price on farmed fish is 4-6 times higher than price on wild fish. It is the only country with a situation like that”, – he says. According to the information of the Federal Fisheries Agency, prime cost of Norway salmon is 50 Rubles per kilogram, Russian salmon – 80 Rubles per kilogram.
Timur Mitulov, the head of informational fishery agency, considers the matter is not only the weather: “Russian Far East yield of salmon decreased by 12-13%, meanwhile Japan and USA demand strengthened”.
Meanwhile representatives of X5 Retail Group and “Sedmoy Kontinent” say, that during the last 3 months they haven’t noticed any price increases on the part of suppliers who sell Norway chilled salmon.
Russia increased further imports of table grapes from Italy.
According to the Federal State Statistics Service of Russia, the country imported about 2,600 tons of Italian grapes in September. 50% more than the previous year. For the period July to September 2013, Italian exports already reached 5000 tons.
In the previous season, Russia had imported 16,000 tons of grapes from Italy. Italy is still far from the main supplier, Turkey, which exported 134,000 tons of grapes in Russia. Uzbekistan, Chile, Peru, Moldova and the preceding Italy which is ranked only as 8th supplier of table grapes from Russia.
Russia is still the largest export market for Ukrainian apples despite negative import performance, according to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine.
Russia’s imports of Ukrainian apples reached just 2,000 tons in October 2013, half the amount of imports in October 2012 and the lowest level over the past 5 years. Ukraine’s cumulative export of apples to Russia in the first 4 months of the season 2013/14 amounted to 5,200 tons, which is also half the export amount than in the same period of the previous season. The Russian Federation accounted for a 96% the share of Ukraine’s total exports.
Russia is traditionally the import leader of Ukrainian apples. The country accounted for 94% of all apple shipments from Ukraine in the season 2012/13.
Russia’s veterinary inspection service Rosselkhoznadzor may impose a ban on fruit and vegetable imports from Poland because of risks dangers and re-export goods may be supplied to the country, as follows from the agency’s statement, published on Friday.
Rosselkhoznadzor informed the Polish State Plant Health and Seed Inspection Service about its concern over the situation, noting that import restrictions might be imposed unless the Polish side took measures to prevent identified violations.
In 2012 and in the last nine months of 2013 alone, Rosselkhoznadzor exposed 21 batches of Polish vegetable products contaminated with quarantine objects. Besides, there were over 900 cases detected in 2013 of non-compliance with international requirements for phytosanitary documents. The Polish side reportedly provided unreliable or distorted information about the country of origin, and the senders and recipients of goods. The exported products lacked marking. And it is also possible that phytosanitary certificates and accompanying documents were improperly executed.
According to international experts, Russia is a world leader in the procurement of apples in the foreign market.
Last season, Russia accounted for about 15% of the world apple market. The second largest market for these products has performed in Germany, which accounted for 6% of the supply of apples. United Kingdom with a share of 6% rounds out the top 3.
Then go Netherlands (4%), Mexico (3%), Spain (3%), Egypt (3%), Canada (3%), France (2%), and India (2%).
It should be reminded that in season 2012-2013 Russia has imported 1.34 million tons of apples, which is 10% more than the previous season.
Georgian fruit and citrus fruit exports to Russia will be resumed on October 14th with permission of Rosselkhoznadzor. According to Rosselkhoznadzor representatives the first fruit to be exported to Russia will be mandarins.
The import of Georgian vegetables, fruit, water, and wine was banned in 2006 over quality issues. In 2013 Rosselkhoznadzor experts inspected a number of Georgian enterprises. As a result the embargo on Georgian tea and nuts was cancelled in the middle of 2013.
The renewal of Georgian exports will be in autumn and winter, when citrus fruit, especially mandarins, are in high demand in Russia. Georgia intends to export 70,000 tons of mandarins to Russia in 2013.
As a whole, Spanish tomato exports during the first semester of 2013 have increased by 9.5% compared to the same period last year, totalling 640,960 tonnes, due to the EU’s growth, as well as that of the aforementioned countries.
Of the 640,960 tonnes of Spanish tomatoes exported, a total of 602,425 tonnes were shipped to the European Union (94%), with an increase of 7% compared to the same period last year. Within the EU, Germany is the main recipient with 132,888 tonnes; 11% more than in 2012. It is followed by France, with 95,471 tonnes (+5%) and the UK with 87,781 tonnes (+3%).
This growth in tomato exports, Spain’s most exported vegetable, is mainly due to the increase in demand from the EU and the continent, as according to FEPEX, the volumes exported to other markets of potential interest are very small, mainly as a result of barriers to imports in the shape phytosanitary protocols. The total volume of exports to markets outside the EU was 244 tonnes, just 0.04% of the total.
Source: www.freshplaza.com
Last week, the specialists of the Central Laboratory of Russia revealed the poor quality of imported fruit and vegetables of a total weight of 187.2 tons from Turkey, Bulgaria, and from Belgium.
According to the research, 131.6 tonnes of nectarines, peaches, and pears from Spain and France, 55.1 tons of grapes from Turkey and Bulgaria, as well as half a ton of lettuce leaf from Belgium were contaminated with pesticide residues and nitrates.
Source: www.fruit-inform.com