BERLIN, January 16 (Sputnik) — The Russian government is not considering any proposals concerning new restrictions on food imports in the near future, Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fedorov said Friday.
"We are currently not considering any proposals from relevant Russian structures concerning new food import restrictions," Fedorov told reporters on the sidelines of an agricultural show in Germany.
The list of banned products includes meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy products, fruit and vegetables.
Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said the ban would stay in effect until the European Union lifts its anti-Russia sanctions.
European agricultural producers and specifically those from Italy, Netherlands, Finland and Baltic countries are suffering significant losses due to the EU sanctions against Moscow and Russia’s countermeasures. Amid the sales drop, late in November the European Commission allocated financial support to the dairy producers of the Baltic states, with Estonia receiving about $8.6 million, Latvia — $9.6 million and Lithuania –$17.6 million.
The losses, however, are a lot more significant. According to the Russian Trade Representative in the Netherlands, Dutch farmers, for example, were unable to sell products worth a total of $750 million to Russia. According to a major association of Italian agricultural producers Coldiretti, Italy will loose at least $253 million should ban last a full year.
