Thursday 25 May 2017

Thursday's Black Sea agri-business news

After a warming of trade relations between Russia and Turkey, things appear to have taken on a distinct chill again as Ankara imposed restrictions on imports of Russian wheat in reaction to Russia's earlier ban on imports of Turkish tomatoes.

Moscow has said that restrictions on tomato imports will remain to protect Russian producers.

Russia’s Deputy Minister said at an All-Russia meeting on dairy cattle breeding this week, that the main task is to increase the productivity of the dairy herd reiterating the Ministry’s policy on import substitution and self-sufficiency.

Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Taras Kutovyi has resigned after 13 months in the post to pursue a career in the private, and presumably more lucrative, sector. His predecessor managed 16 months.

Unusually cool weather in Russia and Ukraine risks delaying wheat and barley harvest, report Bloomberg although Ukraine corn planting is now 95% complete with 4.2mha planted.

The Mykolayiv State Agrarian University in Ukraine held a Field Day this week where they introduced 169 new varieties of wheat and barley.

The State Register of plant varieties currently has 351 wheat and 152 barley varieties available to farmers but with no credible performance testing, it’s a case of more must be better, right?

Ukraine’s production of canned vegetables increased by a whopping 61% in April 2017 compared to last year, do they know something we don’t?