UPDATE2: Watchdog suspends dairy imports from Belarus from Feb 26

(Adds comments in last four paragraphs)

MOSCOW/MINSK, Feb 22 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight has suspended milk and some dairy product imports from Belarus from February 26, the service said on Thursday.

Besides milk, the ban affects pasteurized, sterilized, concentrated, canned and condensed cream, buttermilk, and whey protein and milk protein concentrate.

The watchdog said that Belarus continues to supply unsafe dairy products to Russia. The ban was introduced until relevant talks with Belarus’ veterinary service are held and the situation with ensuring safety of Belarusian products is settled.

Belarusian First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Leonid Marinich said that Belarus is surprised by the Russian watchdog’s decision to suspend the imports and is trying to find out the reasons.

“We’ve just read… We are currently finding out what pushed (the Russian side) to such decision,” Marinich told PRIME.

Belarusian specialists are ready to arrive for consultations with the Russian watchdog at any time, he added.

A spokesperson for the National Dairy Producers Union, or Soyuzmoloko, said that Russia will not face a problem with production and sales of milk after the ban on Belarusian products, as currently has record reserves.

“At present, amid reducing demand caused by lower purchasing power of the population a surplus of products and record stocks in warehouses have occurred, in this connection we should not speak about a possible deficit,” he said.

Belarus is the main supplier of dairy products to Russia with a share of around 79% of the total volume of supplies.

End