Russia to ban chicken exports after Putin’s surprise over rising prices

The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has initiated a ban on the export of eggs and certain types of poultry meat. The relevant draft resolutions of the Russian government have already been published on the portal of regulatory legal acts, writes the Russian edition of Forbes.

The ministry explained that the export ban is necessary to curb price increases and prevent a shortage of these products in the domestic market. According to the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, prices for eggs in Russia increased by 24% over the year, and for chicken meat by 25.3%. The Russian authorities explain this by “a decline in production of these products in recent months and an increase in their cost amid the high dollar.”

“In addition, the current situation contributes to the excessive attractiveness of exporting these products compared to supplies to the domestic market, which poses a threat to the food security of the Russian Federation,” the Russian Ministry of Agriculture added.

The day before, during a meeting with the government, Russian President Vladimir Putin was surprised that chicken meat in Russia has risen in price by more than 27% since the beginning of the year.

He asked Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev, who was participating in the meeting via video link from a chicken breeding center, to explain this.

“The fact that you are talking to us from the chicken coop is great, it revitalizes our work today, the meeting with the government, of course. But why has the price of chicken gone up so much? Poultry meat has risen by more than 27% since the beginning of the year,” Putin wondered.

Patrushev replied that Russian producers had already “felt socially responsible” and began to lower prices, but Putin argued that suppliers were simply “doing business” and that the government should “timely use known mechanisms, including the purchase of imports from our closest neighbors.” In response, Patrushev assured that Russia has already begun importing chicken from Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Tags: Russia, export, chicken, restrictions, eggs