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Rosselkhoznadzor chief predicts rise in import of end food produce

The agrarians will not cope with the situation without the State assistance

MOSCOW, July 25 (Itar-Tass) — Sergei Dankvert, head of the Rosselkhoznadzor (Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision) predicts an increase in the import of end food produce following Russia's accesssion to the World Trade Organization (WTO). He told this during a Business Luncheon at the Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

"We must be ready for a mounting competition and make use of the opportunity to elevate production to a new level," Dankvert emphasized. At the same time, he is convinced, "the agrarians will not cope (with the situation) without the State (assistance)".

The Rosselkhoznadzor chief pointed out, "So far, Russia does not supply any advanced-processing foodstuffs to Europe -- either sausages or braised beef". "We are exporting there only wild-deer meat, which is of interest to the European Union, and fish which they (the Europeans) process and deliver back to us. The same applies to the meat of wild animals," he pointed out.

"If we want the supply of as much food produce as possible to us, while we blink at the fact why it is so cheap, tomorrow we shall be provided with a lot of it. But then domestic enterprises would face ruin," Dankvert predicts. He pointed out, "No civilized country allows a large-scale seizure of markets". This is why "Rosselkhoznadzor now has available a list of 120 countries which are certified to deliver food produce to Russia". Dairy products constitute an exception in this respect. From the moment of Russia's entry into the WTO, a declarative principle will be applied to them.