MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. The new terms of grain supplies to Turkey are very unprofitable for Russia, official spokesperson of Russia’s veterinary and phytosanitary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor Yuliya Melano told TASS.

Earlier on Friday President of Russia’s Grain Union Arkady Zlochevsky told TASS that Turkey has suspended issuance of licenses for duty-free import of sunflower oil, wheat and corn from Russia. According to Zlochevsky, Russian exporters are now obliged to pay a duty amounting to 130%.

"Obviously the terms of grain supplies to Turkey henceforth are very unprofitable. Turkey is historically our biggest importer," Melano said.

She added though that no notifications have been received yet on suspension of export license granting.

"As of now no exporters have applied to the body under Rosselkhoznadzor that grants compliance certificates for grain supplies to Turkey, with a suspension request," she said.

However, Russia may redirect its supplies destined for Turkey to new markets and find new contractors because of unprofitable terms of grain exports, Melano told TASS.

"Rosselkhoznadzor does not rule out that those unprofitable terms for Russian exporters will prompt the company to redirect (supplies), particularly, new contractors may be found in the countries that the regulator has opened over the past three years for Russian grain products," Melano said.

According to the data provided to the Federal Customs Service, Russian producers delivered 4.7 mln tonnes of grain to Turkey last year, including 2.6 mln tonnes of wheat and 838,000 tonnes of corn.