Ukrainian vegetable shipments to Russia recommence; now with full cargo inspection

Full cargo inspection means truck unloading, which may negatively affect the quality of vegetables. Furthermore, the customs clearance procedures may last up to 24 hours and even more, which is rather unacceptable for greenhouse produce.

Representatives of greenhouse farms are rather agitated about the situation. Firstly, the quality may significantly worsen after such cargo inspection procedures. Secondly, they fear that exports to Russia may again stop in any moment.

The market experts compare the current situation with developments in August 2013, when the customs clearance process stopped at the border with Russia due to tougher inspection of Ukrainian fruits and vegetables carried out by phytosanitary services of Russia and Federal Customs Service's permission necessary for full clearance. As a result, Ukraine's exports of greenhouse cucumbers to Russia in August 2013 took just a fifth of the export volumes in the same month of the previous year, which resulted in significant losses for the Ukrainian greenhouse sector.