MOSCOW, August 08, /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s veterinary and phytosanitary watchdog (Rosselkhoznadzor) has offered Russian food importers its assistance in establishing contacts with new exporter countries, Rosselkhoznadzor press secretary said on Friday after its head Sergei Dankvert had met with businessmen.
“We held this meeting to get a clear picture what countries and what companies in those countries Russian importers are interested in to establish contacts with those companies,” Yulia Trofimova said.
She said that Russian importers had asked the Rosselkhoznadzor head to allow imports from concrete companies in a number of countries to replace foods imported from the countries that have fallen under Russian sanctions. Thus, importers want to buy poultry meat from Brazil, fish - from Indonesia, pork and beef - from Mexico and Chile.
Rosselkhoznadzor, in turn, informed business representatives about Paraguay’s Chile’s, Ecuador’s Argentina’s and Brazil’s readiness to expand their exports of foods to Russia. “If it takes place soon we are unlikely to feel any shortages,” she said.
Taking part in the meeting were representatives from more than 70 Russian and foreign companies.
On August 6, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to ban or restrict for a term of one year the imports of agricultural produce, raw materials and foodstuffs from countries that joined the economic sanctions against Russia over its stance on Ukraine. In his order on special economic measures to ensure Russia’s security, Putin instructed the government to specify a list of food imports, which will be restricted or banned and also urged to take measures to restrain the food price growth in the country.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a government resolution imposing a complete one-year ban on imports of beef, pork, cheeses, poultry meat and fish from EU countries, the United States, Australia, Canada and Norway.