Russia Turns to South America to Fill Trade Gap

South American meat and food exporters are stepping in to fill the gap in the market following the ban on imports of to Russia put in place by President Vladimir Putin.

High level trade talks were held this week between the Russians and Argentine governments in which Argentina promised a variety of goods from dairy products, beef, pork and poultry to chocolate, fruit, wine, eggs and soy beans.

Argentina told the Russian delegation in the talks that it could supply half the amount that was exported by the US to Russia before the ban.

Argentine First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Bianchi presented the head of the Russian veterinary and food Safety Authority, Sergei Dankvert, with a number of proposals to significantly increase the supply of food to make up for the Russian food market volumes of products previously shipped from the European Union and the United States.

And the Argentine Minister of Industry Deborah Giorgi said: “We can ensure the supply of a wide variety of Russian products of animal and vegetable origin.

At the same time, Russia was holding talks with Ecuador over possible exports of food products and also discussing with Brazil raising the bars that existed for several meat processors to export pork and beef products.

In the EU, the agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos, announced the start of support for some sectors that have been hit by the Russian trade ban and in the UK the Scottish Rural Affairs and Food Secretary Richard Lochhead met representatives across the food industry to explore support measures.