Updated at 13:52,22-04-2024

Milk War again?

Nasha Niva

Russia should suspend the imports of Belarusian dry whole milk, skimmed milk powder, whey powder and butter peasant oil of 72.5% and 82.5% fat from June 4 until December 1. This is stated in the resolution adopted by the participants of the All-Russian conference of representatives of the dairy industry.

In their view, it would help stabilize prices for specified products on the Russian market and stop dumping on the part of the Belarusian suppliers. The MIA traffic police and the Russian Railways are likely to be entrusted to carry out an operational control over execution of this measure. In addition, Russian dairy producers advise to "entrust the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as Federal service on ecological, technological, nuclear and agricultural regulation of Russia to develop some control system over the quality, volumes and prices of dairy products shipped from Belarus to Russia prior to December 1, 2012".

Participants also felt it necessary to develop and legislate a system of planning and control of trade within the Customs Union, to harmonize the level of state support given the long-term plans for national development in the Union member-countries. Prior to that, they offer to tighter control over the balance of trade of dairy products and compliance with indicative prices.

In addition, they demand "accelerating the adoption of technical regulations on milk and dairy products of the Customs Union with all the proposals of the Russian side", by introducing more stringent requirements for the use of vegetable fats in the manufacture of dairy products and not allowing the adoption of the term "reconstituted milk".