Monday, 28 November 2016

Monday's Black Sea news roundup

Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture report that farmers have purchased 11% more fertiliser this year than last, which if read in conjunction with all the other announcements about increased productivity suggest farmers are heading for another bumper crop in 2017.

History, however, shows us that the correlation between fertiliser use in Russia and crop yield is weak, like no statistical correlation at all, kind of weak, so I wouldn't read too much into it.

Elsewhere and the Russian Government published a “significantly modified” draft of the quarantine phytosanitary control of imported planting seeds and planting materials regulations according to the USDA.

The inference seems to be that they are extremely bureaucratic, cumbersome and effectively amount to a trade barrier.  It’s being hammered out in the WTO as we speak so watch this space.

Meanwhile in the southern Russia region of Krasnodar Krai, an outbreak of African swine fever could disrupt grain exports if the Russian veterinary and phytosanitary service, Rosselkhoznadzor, decide to impose quarantine restrictions to prevent the spread of the disease.

The head of Rosselkhoznadzor, Sergei Dankvert, said that a decision on a quarantine zone would be made this week.  Watch this space.

Ukraine and the government has submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law on the basic principles and requirements for organic production and certification.

I assume the standards will naturally be aligned to IFOAM standards thus allowing the eventual organic produce that will appear once this is all in place to be exported to the EU where the market for organic produce will be because I doubt very much if there will be any sizeable market in Ukraine.  

I’m sure someone has checked, watch this space.