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Retail association says no prerequisites for deficit of bananas in Russia

Among global leaders in terms of production of bananas is India, which produces almost five times as much bananas as Ecuador, as well as China (almost twice as much) and Indonesia (almost 30% more), Igor Karavayev said

MOSCOW, February 6. /TASS/. No difficulties with supplies of bananas to Russia are expected as there are many exporters in Ecuador whose companies raised questions from the Russian Federal Service of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision, while Russian companies can efficiently adjust logistics, Igor Karavayev, chairman of the presidium of the Retail Companies Association (ACORT, unites major Russian retailers), told TASS.

"As of today there are no prerequisites for the shortage of bananas as there are many exporters in Ecuador. From the experience of previous sanctions years, we already saw trade and suppliers efficiently adjust their logistics, keeping goods that the Russian consumer is accustomed to in their assortment. This is why no crisis with bananas is expected in coming months," he said.

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Among global leaders in terms of production of bananas is India, which produces almost five times as much bananas as Ecuador, as well as China (almost twice as much) and Indonesia (almost 30% more), Karavayev said. In turn, Brazil’s production of bananas is equal to that of Ecuador, he said. Overall, among top ten producers of bananas globally are India, China, Indonesia, Brazil, Ecuador, the Philippines, Angola, Guatemala, Tanzania, Costa Rica, Columbia, Mexico, and Peru, he added.

Retailers are currently developing alternative delivery directions, the chairman said. "Of course, import of bananas completely readjusted, for example, in the event of general ban on exports from Ecuador, will require new contracts to be concluded and additional costs from suppliers and chains that directly import this fruit as well," he explained.

Earlier, the Russian Federal Service of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision said that it was concerned about the situation with tainted bananas coming in from Ecuador. The watchdog asked Ecuador’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Franklin Danilo Palacios Marquez to suspend the certification of bananas from five Ecuadorian exporters that committed the largest number of violations from February 5.

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