October 16, 2013
Poland has raised concerns that Russia might impose import restrictions or a ban on Polish meat as the Russian government has once again questioned the quality of Polish meat imported into its territory.
On October 4 Russia's meat inspectorate, Rosselkhoznadzor, said that it would intensify laboratory inspections on products imported from two plants in Poland as laboratory tests had turned up pathogenic bacteria in poultry and frozen pork from the said plants.
In the first half of the year, Poland exported some 12,600 tonnes of meat to Russia, and some analysts believe that Moscow could be trying to protect domestic producers.
"Russia is trying to restore its meat production," said Danuta Rycombel of Poland's Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, National Research Institute. "They've invested a lot of money in it, and to boost their own production they need to curb imports. Claiming that the product doesn't have the necessary quality is the easiest and most successful way to do so."
Polish agriculture minister Stanisław Kalemba has said he doesn't think the moves were directed at curbing Polish imports specifically, pointing out that other EU countries had also received similar warnings.
Kalemba is in Moscow this week holding talks with Russia's agriculture minister Nikolai Fyodorov. Issues of quality standards are expected to be among the topics discussed.
