ACORT rules out vegetable shortage after restrictions on imports from Armenia

There is no shortage of cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, herbs or strawberries in Russia due to the ban on supplies from Armenia. This was announced on May 29 by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Association of Omnichannel Retail Companies (ACORT). Stanislav Bogdanov.

"There are no prerequisites for a shortage of cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, greens or strawberries in retail chains. Large chains have a diversified supply chain," Bogdanov told RIA Novosti.

He also said that suppliers provide a flexible redistribution of volumes between products from different countries, while the bulk of the vegetable assortment in stores is made up of products from Russian manufacturers.

The head of the association clarified that the share of imports in the cucumber category is about 15%, while the main volumes come from Azerbaijan. Depending on the store's format, there are up to 18 items in this category on the shelves.

A stumbling block: farmers complain about restrictions on retailers' purchases of domestic vegetables

The reorientation of retail chains to young imported products may lead to the utilization of the potato crop, farmers fear.

The day before, the Rosselkhoznadzor reported that from May 30, temporary restrictions will be imposed on the import of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, green crops and strawberries originating and departing from Armenia. The ministry explained that in relation to the listed products, inspections revealed violations and inconsistencies with the standards of both Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

On May 29, the head of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Maxim Reshetnikov, answering a question from Izvestia, assured that restrictions on the import of goods from Armenia would not have an impact on domestic markets. He explained this by saying that the products sold by Yerevan are mostly "niche".