Brussels, 28/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Russian veterinary and phytosanitary authorities are planning to hold consultations with Poland after 10 May on a possible embargo on imports of fruit and vegetables from that country, according to press statements issued on 24 April. The reasons for this ban are believed to be the presence of excessive residual levels of pesticides and nitrates in fruit and vegetables produced in Poland.
This embargo would be a tough blow to Polish producers of fruit and vegetables. Poland is a major exporter of fruit (especially apples) to Russia. According to official Polish statistics, Polish exports of fruit and vegetables to Russia are worth in excess of €1 billion a year. Poland has already been hit hard by the Russian block on pork meat from the EU.
Ahead of a new supply season from Poland, the head of the Russian veterinary service, Sergei Dabkvert, asked Polish Agriculture Minister Marek Sawicki to take measures to improve the situation. “If no efficient measures are taken, the Russian veterinary service will have to look at imposing a temporary ban on imports of products of high phytosanitary risks from Poland, including by a third countries, to protect Russia's territories from phytosanitary threats”, the Russian veterinary service press department announced.
The Directorate General for Health of the European Commission has not yet received official notice of the decision of the Russian authorities on this possible ban on imports of Polish fruit and vegetables.
According to Eurostat figures, European exports of fruit and vegetables to Russia represented €2.3 billion in value in 2013, and €538 million (23%) of this came from Poland. After Lithuania, Poland is the second largest exporter of fruit and vegetables to Russia and these exports have increased sharply in recent years (the vast majority of Polish exports of fruit and vegetables are actually grown in Poland, whilst many of the fruit and vegetables exported by Lithuania actually come from Spain or the Netherlands). In terms of volume and compared to EU production, exports to the Russian market are particularly significant for fruit and vegetables (17.5% of total EU production of fruit and vegetables).
With production of around €2 billion in 2010 (€0.9 billion for fruit and €1.1 billion for vegetables) and a market share of 5%, Poland is the ninth largest fruit and vegetable producer in the EU (according to Eurostat).
The value of fruit and vegetable production amounted to approximately 9% of the total Polish agricultural output in 2012, according to European Commission figures. (LC)