DUBLIN: Russia is an important market for Irish dairy products despite the sanctions, according to Bord Bia analyst Emily McCormack in Moscow.
Russia remains an important long-term market for dairy, and as milk powders and lactose-free dairy products have remained outside of the sanction list,” she said.
The EU exported the most products to Russia in 2013, selling 416,000 tonnes of dairy to the country, 63% of which was cheese. Ukraine also contributed significant supplies to the market in 2013, including 50,000 tonnes of cheese and 13,000 tonnes of whey.
The bans imposed on EU, US, Canadian, Norwegian and Australian dairy in August 2014 have resulted in imports increasing from Belarus and South America.
However, with inflation in January reaching 16% and domestic food prices continuing to increase, remaining price competitive is a challenge for exporters.
