Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Russian vegetable imports grow despite embargo, apple imports drop
Despite the ban on vegetable imports from a number of countries, shipments of vegetables to Russia have not fallen and are even continuing to grow. However, the restrictions on food imports have had a negative impact on apple imports, which have fallen dramatically.
Russia imported 162,000 tonnes of cucumbers in the first ten months of 2014, 18.5% more than in the same period of 2013, the Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat) reported on Friday. Cucumber imports in October were up 24.8% year-on-year and soared 210% compared to September, the first full month under the food import restrictions that Russia imposed on August 7.
Imports of onions and garlic jumped 40.2% year-on-year to 402,000 tonnes in the ten months, including 48% to 14,300 tonnes in October, which was up by 50% from the previous month. Imports of tomatoes rose 3.6% to 726,000 tonnes in the ten months, surging 48.7% year-on-year to 28,200 tonnes in October, up by 9.4% from the previous month.
Imports of potatoes and cabbage jumped 53.2% and 28.5% respectively to 676,000 tonnes and 237,000 tonnes in the ten months; in October, potato and cabbage imports fell 41.9% and 59.8% respectively year-on-year to 4,400 tonnes and 3,500 tonnes, but this was up by 120% and 220% from September.
However, apple imports, which had up to a 50% share of the Russian market, fell 16.8% year-on-year to 912,000 tonnes in the ten months, including 44.7% to 53,500 tonnes in October, but this was up by 42.5% from September.
Following the ban on imports of certain foods from the United States, Canada, the European Union, Norway and Australia, Russia began to look for alternative suppliers, who are gradually replacing goods hit by the ban.