Three months ago, the Irish Farmers Journal reported that Russia was about to reopen its gates to imports of pedigree cattle from the EU.
This week, Bord Bia’s meat and livestock export specialist Joe Burke confirmed that the final hurdle in this protracted process has now been cleared. The breakthrough followed intensive negotiations at a high level in Moscow by Department of Agriculture veterinary experts and Bord Bia executives.
Bord Bia as well as Irish and EU veterinary experts consider the new Russian veterinary cert to be “very workable”. It will certainly be of great interest to all Irish pedigree cattle producers. In recent years, a number of Irish cattle exporters opened lucrative new markets for Irish pedigree cattle in Russia and Kazakhstan.
However, following the Russian food embargo, competition in Russian pedigree livestock markets has intensified. Last month, three very large international agricultural trade markets were held in Moscow. Pedigree livestock exporters from all over the EU, US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South America were very active.
Irish livestock breeding flagship in Russia
One of the most prominent exhibitors at the main Russian farming exhibition – Golden Autumn – was an Irish pedigree pig breeding company. Ned Nolan’s Hermitage Pedigree Pigs is now one of the most successful international pig breeding companies in the world. The Kilkenny-based firm has large and very hi-tech pedigree pig farms in Russia.
Hermitage is the main supplier of boars, gilts and fresh pig semen to MIRATORG – the largest pig and pork producer in Russia. MIRATORG has 120,000 breeding sows to feed its pig-fattening units and pork factories. The company’s annual sales are $1.5bn.
Russian supermarkets flush with food – but food prices continue to rise
“The three Russian generals who defeated Hitler were the same three generals who defeated Napoleon 130 years earlier: January, February and March” – Russian proverb.
Today, Russians are bracing themselves again for their annual winter freeze. Last week, temperatures in parts of Russia plunged below -30°C. Blizzards and carpets of snow and ice are now covering this vast country. Russians are hoping that they will be able to get through the next three to four critical months of their usually harsh, Arctic winter without too much hardship.
This year, they have to contend with a few extra worries, including:
Rising prices of food (up 27.5%).Increased inflation (up from 6% to 8.3%).A sharp reduction in the value of the rouble (down 25%).Falling export prices for Russian oil (down from $110 to $80 per barrel).Yet still the Russian embargo on imports of food from the EU, US, Canada and Australia has had absolutely no impact on food supplies in Russian shops and supermarkets.
Last week, an Irish Farmers Journal survey of supermarkets in Moscow, and provincial towns in western Russia, confirmed that the country is awash with all types of high-quality food. The survey also confirmed that food producers from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Hungary are still finding ways around the Russian embargo.
Big volumes of fresh foods from these EU countries continue to hold prominent positions on shelves of the leading Russian supermarkets. The main fresh foods that are getting into Russian markets on a daily basis include fresh fruits and vegetables, short shelf-life pork, bacon, ham, beef, dairy products, and fresh fish.
It is worth noting that politicians in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Hungary never got on the ill-fated anti-Russian bandwagon. Their farmers are now reaping the rewards for their prudence.
In contrast, the American-inspired anti-Russian campaign has proved to be both futile and costly for all concerned. Irish farmers and food producers in particular could be counting the cost for many years to come.
* Brendan Dunleavy has over 20 years’ agricultural project management experience in Russia and Ukraine.
Three months ago, the Irish Farmers Journal reported that Russia was about to reopen its gates to imports of pedigree cattle from the EU.
This week, Bord Bia’s meat and livestock export specialist Joe Burke confirmed that the final hurdle in this protracted process has now been cleared. The breakthrough followed intensive negotiations at a high level in Moscow by Department of Agriculture veterinary experts and Bord Bia executives.
Bord Bia as well as Irish and EU veterinary experts consider the new Russian veterinary cert to be “very workable”. It will certainly be of great interest to all Irish pedigree cattle producers. In recent years, a number of Irish cattle exporters opened lucrative new markets for Irish pedigree cattle in Russia and Kazakhstan.
However, following the Russian food embargo, competition in Russian pedigree livestock markets has intensified. Last month, three very large international agricultural trade markets were held in Moscow. Pedigree livestock exporters from all over the EU, US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South America were very active.
Irish livestock breeding flagship in Russia
One of the most prominent exhibitors at the main Russian farming exhibition – Golden Autumn – was an Irish pedigree pig breeding company. Ned Nolan’s Hermitage Pedigree Pigs is now one of the most successful international pig breeding companies in the world. The Kilkenny-based firm has large and very hi-tech pedigree pig farms in Russia.
Hermitage is the main supplier of boars, gilts and fresh pig semen to MIRATORG – the largest pig and pork producer in Russia. MIRATORG has 120,000 breeding sows to feed its pig-fattening units and pork factories. The company’s annual sales are $1.5bn.
Russian supermarkets flush with food – but food prices continue to rise
“The three Russian generals who defeated Hitler were the same three generals who defeated Napoleon 130 years earlier: January, February and March” – Russian proverb.
Today, Russians are bracing themselves again for their annual winter freeze. Last week, temperatures in parts of Russia plunged below -30°C. Blizzards and carpets of snow and ice are now covering this vast country. Russians are hoping that they will be able to get through the next three to four critical months of their usually harsh, Arctic winter without too much hardship.
This year, they have to contend with a few extra worries, including:
Rising prices of food (up 27.5%).Increased inflation (up from 6% to 8.3%).A sharp reduction in the value of the rouble (down 25%).Falling export prices for Russian oil (down from $110 to $80 per barrel).Yet still the Russian embargo on imports of food from the EU, US, Canada and Australia has had absolutely no impact on food supplies in Russian shops and supermarkets.
Last week, an Irish Farmers Journal survey of supermarkets in Moscow, and provincial towns in western Russia, confirmed that the country is awash with all types of high-quality food. The survey also confirmed that food producers from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Hungary are still finding ways around the Russian embargo.
Big volumes of fresh foods from these EU countries continue to hold prominent positions on shelves of the leading Russian supermarkets. The main fresh foods that are getting into Russian markets on a daily basis include fresh fruits and vegetables, short shelf-life pork, bacon, ham, beef, dairy products, and fresh fish.
It is worth noting that politicians in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Hungary never got on the ill-fated anti-Russian bandwagon. Their farmers are now reaping the rewards for their prudence.
In contrast, the American-inspired anti-Russian campaign has proved to be both futile and costly for all concerned. Irish farmers and food producers in particular could be counting the cost for many years to come.
* Brendan Dunleavy has over 20 years’ agricultural project management experience in Russia and Ukraine.
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