Int’l - Russia to begin inspections of Ukrainian Dairy
Published:September 13, 2006
Source :Dairy Reporter
Russian vetinary officials are to re-start inspections of Ukrainian dairy producers on 15 September, raising hopes that an import ban imposed on the country earlier this year could be lifted.
The news comes after a meeting between Ukrainian agricultural minister, Mykola Melynyk, and his Russian counterpart, Aleksei Gordeyey in Moscow, and represents a significant thawing in relations between the two countries' agricultural bodies.
Russia banned Ukrainian dairy imports on 20 January this year, following complaints from its veterinarians that production facilities and farms were in breach of the Federation's food safety standards.
Critics suggested, however, that the ban was more about political manoeuvring than agricultural policy.
For Ukrainian dairy producers, the Russian market offered a major source of income with €325m worth of produce being bought into the country last year alone. During the same period, figures also indicated that 50 per cent of all cheese imported to Russia had come from Ukraine.
Despite losing such a key market, Ukrainian dairy has still continued to grow, particularly on the domestic market, which has seen annual expansion of 15 per cent for the last three years.
Yet, the chance to re-establish trade with an economy like Russia's still appears a priority for Ukraine's government.
It is not for the first time that hopes for a lifting of the ban have been raised. Ukrainian president Vicktor Yuschenko announced in February that the two countires had found a solution to the import ban, after discussions in Moscow.
The introduction of dairy inspections in the country by Russian officials will be seen as an encouraging sign that talks have advanced further.
Tension remains high, however, following Russia's threat to impose a similar ban on Polish dairy producers earlier this month.
