Russian Fruit Market

2013 tough year for Russian fresh produce imports

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Due to a number of factors, 2013 was a difficult year for many of Russia’s fruit and vegetable suppliers. Bad weather negatively impacted some crops while restrictions on fresh produce shipments to Russia from several regions of origin limited supplies. Many companies in Moscow also experienced problems with fresh produce storage when one of the biggest warehouse complexes in the city was closed. Negative changes in consumer behaviour and purchasing power also became evident at the end of the year.

According to data from the Federal Customs Service, imports of fruit, nuts and dried fruit to Russia in 2013 remained roughly equal to 2012 levels – amounting to 6.19 million MT or $6.26 billion. Compared to the previous year’s figures (6.16 million MT, $6.28 billion), the volume of imported fruit increased by 0.4 percent and the value decreased by 0.35 percent. Imports of vegetables over the same period grew more intensively. The gross import volume of vegetables reached 2.90 million MT, or $2.80 billion, exceeding the volume and value of 2012 by 6.3 percent and 12.4 percent, respectively.

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Russia reduces apple imports

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Russia’s imports of apples are still significantly lower compared with the previous season, according to Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation.

In particular, Russian importers purchased just 109,000 tons of apples in January 2014, a decrease of 28% year-on-year. Russia’s cumulative imports over the first 7 months of the current season fell by 15% compared with the same period of the previous season and totaled 575,000 tons.

Such a sharp decrease in apple imports is connected with lower shipments from Poland, which has reduced exports to Russia by 30% since the beginning of the season 2013/14, and rather moderate demand for apples in the Russian Federation.

www.fruit-inform.com

Record low imports of grapes in Russia

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In the first half of the current season, Russia has reduced imports of grapes to the lowest level over the past 5 years, according to Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation.

In particular, in July-December 2013, Russian importers purchased 237,000 tons of grapes, 17% lower than in the same period of the previous season, when imports had amounted to at 285,000 tons.

A decrease in total imports is connected with 10% smaller volumes of grapes imported from Turkey.

www.fruit-inform.com

Russia’s apple imports down in December 2013

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The Russian Federation keeps on reducing apple imports, according to the official statistics.

In particular, imports in December 2013 stood at 117,000 tons, a decrease of 6% year-on-year.

Russia’s cumulative imports in the first 6 months of the season 2013/14 totalled 466,000 tons, a decrease of 11% compared with the same period of the previous season, when imports had reached record high 524,000 tons.

Thanks to an increase of 13% in exports, Moldova was the largest supplier of apples to the Russian Federation in the first half of the current season. Poland, Serbia and China also were the key exporters.

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Pear production down in Russia

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According to WAPA data, pear production in the Russian Federation has significantly gone down in the season 2013/14.

Russia’s pear production amounted just to 43,000 tons, a decrease of 14% compared with the previous season and the lowest result over the past 10 years. For comparison, production totaled 50,000 tons in the season 2012/13.

The highest pear production level was registered in the Russian Federation in the season 2007/08: 96,000 tons.

www.fruit-inform.com

Russia bans oranges from Egypt

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Russia has lifted ban on ten Egyptian companies exporting citrus fruits (mainly oranges) to Moscow, state’s news agency MENA reported on Friday.

The 2013/14 citrus annual report of US Department of Agriculture said Egypt has been facing the Mediterranean fruit fly, which is the main economic pest negatively affecting production and exports.

Accordingly, complaints have been raised by some importing countries such as Russia and Ukraine after detecting some shipments infected with fruit flies.

The Egyptian government is funding the “Fruit Fly Resistance Project” that aims to control the spread of this pest and administers other regulations that have been in place in order to control the quality of the exported fruit.

Despite the complaints and the Russian ban, Egypt’s orange exports registered 37 percent of the total agricultural crops in 2012/13, recording 16,000 tonnes turning out some LE41 million, the Egyptian Agricultural export council showed.

www.fruit-inform.com

Poland reduces apple exports to Russia

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Poland has significantly reduced apple exports to the Russian Federation, according to the official statistics.

In particular, Russian importers purchased just 37,000 tons of Polish apples in November 2013, a decrease of 38% compared with the same month of the previous year.

Russia’s cumulative imports of apples from Poland in the first 5 months of the current season totaled 91,000 tons, a decrease of 29% compared with the same period of the season 2012/13.

Poland is a stable leader in apple exports to the Russian Federation with the share of 55% in Russia’s total imports in the previous season.

www.fruit-inform.com

Moldova increases apple exports to Russia

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Despite a decrease in Russia’s total apple imports in the current season, Moldova managed to improve its position in the Russian market.

Moldova’s apple exports to Russia in November 2013 amounted to 35,000 tons, an increase of 13% month-on-month and year-on-year.

Russia’s cumulative imports of Moldovan apples in the first 5 months of the current season reached 113,000 tons, an increase of 13% compared with July-November 2012.

Moldova is ranked second in apple exports to Russia in the previous season and was behind only Poland.

www.fruit-inform.com

Russia’s apple imports down

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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.

www.fruit-inform.com

Russian growers want to grow pineapples in new greenhouse

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In Russia’s Far East region “Dalnevostochnoye” a new 18 ha greenhouse has been built with the support of the local government. The greenhouse is not completely new, it is an existing structure that has been reconstructed for 5.54 million Euro. Half of the cost of the revamp was government support, the other half was paid with money from the bank.

The new greenhouse will cultivate vegetables that are popular with locals: leafy greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, several varieties of lettuce, including exotic (Swiss) chard and salad rocket, parsley, basil, dill and others.

The director of the complex also announced that they will try to grow something unusual for the region, such as pineapples. “The technologies we use will allow us to grow anything because we have all the tools to create any climate we desire.”

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