Belarus a key importer of Turkish tomatoes. Are they for Russia?
Photo: divomix.com
Turkey exported tomatoes worth more than $123 million in the first quarter of the year - 54% more than in the first quarter of 2016, ria.ru reports quoting the Turkish sources.
While Russia's ban to import tomatoes from Turkey remains in force, Belarus has become the major buyer.
Our country paid $32.4 million for Turkish tomatoes in the first quarter of the year - No 1 followed by Romania ($18 million), Poland ($11.8 million) and Iraq ($7.6 million).
Russia imposed an embargo on several Turkish food products on January 1, 2016 in response to the incident when the Turkish Air Forces had downed a Russian Su-24 bomber in Syria. The Russian government partially lifted the embargo on Turkish stone fruits and citrus. Other products were allowed to be imported to Russia later. However, it is still forbidden to import refrigerated meat, variety poultry and turkey, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh grapes, apples, pears and strawberries from Turkey.
Russia and Turkey signed a joint statement on lifting the embargo on Monday, May 22. However, the restrictions will still apply to Turkish tomatoes, according to Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev said
