Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Russia did not raise a ban on fruit and vegetable supplies from Georgia
According to the information reported to "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" weekly, Russia rejected raising a tentative ban on the produce import from Georgia from the 19th of December 2005. As the representatives of the Russian Agricultural Control Department said, Georgia was not able to justify identity of the issued phytosanitary certificates. This ban will affect first of all the legal produce supplies as Georgia is a traditional supplier of fresh vegetables and fruits to Russian market.
It is interesting to mention that the import of fresh produce from Poland and Moldova is still in action. Earlier Russia imposed and raised ban on fresh fruit and vegetable import from Turkey and Netherlands. Such policy of Russian phytosanitary control bodies regarding the import suppliers is of protective character, it causes vegetable and fruit price increase on the inner market, to the opinion of the analysts of the "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" weekly. In consequence of price growth, national producers and vendors of fresh produce are able to increase incomes, but at the expense of national consumer. Besides, large international traders are the first to make money in such situation, as they are able to increase purchases quickly in the countries on which the ban is not applied.
Growing contraband supplies are the other consequence of such bans, the respective growth of contrabandists' incomes again at the expense of the common Russian consumers. Besides, those countries which import supplies Russia banned, are searching actively for the alternative sales channels, they often decrease price or improve the quality or presentation of the supplied produce. Russia creates the image of a very unreliable trade partner.
Till the present moment Ukraine has not had any problems with the Russian control bodies as our country supplies mostly processed produce in the form of canned fruits and vegetables, juices, frozen products. Russian market is becoming very attractive to Ukrainian fruit and vegetable producers: "thanks" to the regular bans the produce prices are on a relatively high level on this market.