Following Russia, Belarus will ban Ukrainian cheeses
There are absolutely objective reasons behind the ban on imports of Belarusian dairy products to Ukraine, Maria Kolesnik, HEAD of the analytical department of the AAA consulting agency, believes.
“This is a normal protection of its consumers and producers. Belarus is a member of the Customs Union, and as soon as we started having problems with the Russian Federation, despite the fact that not a single kilogram of Ukrainian cheese was supplied to Belarus, Belarusian officials immediately stated that they they fully support it and will also think about introducing a ban (import of Ukrainian cheese, - ed.)," the analyst noted.
At the same time, Maria Kolesnik casts doubt on the quality of Belarusian dairy products. She recalled that the dairy industry of Belarus, which is under state control, has not received significant financial investments in recent years. Therefore, she noted, the industry, most likely, does not have modern technologies that allow eliminating residues of veterinary drugs from products. Vasily Vintonyak, DIRECTOR of the consulting agency InfAgro, also believes that the introduction of a ban on the import of Belarusian dairy products to Ukraine is a clear reaction to the cheese conflict with RUSSIA. "I can't find any other answer," the expert noted.
Recall that the State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service of Ukraine from March 1, 2012 temporarily suspended the import of MILK and dairy products from the Republic of Belarus into the territory of Ukraine. During the implementation of the state veterinary and sanitary control of dairy products imported from the Republic of Belarus to Ukraine, only during February 2012, systematic violations of the veterinary and sanitary requirements of Ukraine were revealed, namely: an excess of the maximum permissible levels of residues of veterinary drugs in dairy products of Belarusian manufacturers was revealed, noted in the State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service of Ukraine.
We also recall that after the Russian regulatory body, Rospotrebnadzor, banned the import of cheese from a number of Ukrainian producers to Russia in early February, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus Nadezhda Kotkovets said that Belarus could also impose a ban on the import of Ukrainian cheeses. "Most likely, we will support the decision of the Russian services," she said.
“This is a normal protection of its consumers and producers. Belarus is a member of the Customs Union, and as soon as we started having problems with the Russian Federation, despite the fact that not a single kilogram of Ukrainian cheese was supplied to Belarus, Belarusian officials immediately stated that they they fully support it and will also think about introducing a ban (import of Ukrainian cheese, - ed.)," the analyst noted.
At the same time, Maria Kolesnik casts doubt on the quality of Belarusian dairy products. She recalled that the dairy industry of Belarus, which is under state control, has not received significant financial investments in recent years. Therefore, she noted, the industry, most likely, does not have modern technologies that allow eliminating residues of veterinary drugs from products. Vasily Vintonyak, DIRECTOR of the consulting agency InfAgro, also believes that the introduction of a ban on the import of Belarusian dairy products to Ukraine is a clear reaction to the cheese conflict with RUSSIA. "I can't find any other answer," the expert noted.
Recall that the State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service of Ukraine from March 1, 2012 temporarily suspended the import of MILK and dairy products from the Republic of Belarus into the territory of Ukraine. During the implementation of the state veterinary and sanitary control of dairy products imported from the Republic of Belarus to Ukraine, only during February 2012, systematic violations of the veterinary and sanitary requirements of Ukraine were revealed, namely: an excess of the maximum permissible levels of residues of veterinary drugs in dairy products of Belarusian manufacturers was revealed, noted in the State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service of Ukraine.
We also recall that after the Russian regulatory body, Rospotrebnadzor, banned the import of cheese from a number of Ukrainian producers to Russia in early February, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus Nadezhda Kotkovets said that Belarus could also impose a ban on the import of Ukrainian cheeses. "Most likely, we will support the decision of the Russian services," she said.