June 23, 2015

 

Just after approval, Russia bans buffalo meat from India over FMD concern

 

 

Russia on Monday announced a temporary ban on buffalo meat imports from Uttar Pradesh state in India, where several cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) had been reported.

 

Russia started to import meat from India only this year, as alternative to the traditional suppliers of agricultural and food products such as Australia, Canada, the EU, the US and Norway, which all imposed trade sanction on the country in August last year over its alleged backing of separatist rebels in Ukraine. 

 

According to state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, Rosselkhoznadzor (Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance), Russia imposed the ban on Monday.

 

"Rosselkhoznadzor has decided to limit buffalo meat deliveries from some Indian enterprises starting from June 22. The restrictions will apply to companies of the Uttar Pradesh state, where cases of foot-and-mouth disease have been registered," a spokesperson Rosselkhoznadzor said, according to RIA Novosti.

 

Four Indian companies started exporting buffalo meat to Russia this year, with three of them located at the affected Uttar Pradesh.

 

India is only among several non-traditional countries that Russia had tapped as alternative suppliers of poultry, dairy products and fish following the trade sanctions from the Western nations. The other countries include Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Serbia, Faroe Islands, Ecuador, Turkey and Thailand.

 

The Russian Ministry of Agriculture hopes to substitute 90% of food imports with domestic supplies in the next two to three years.

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