The Russian government has decided to ban the import of Turkish fruits and vegetables. The embargo will come into effect in a few weeks, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said during a meeting with Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Monday, the Interfax news agency reported.
“We're talking about two major groups [of products]. The first one is vegetables, including tomatoes and others, and the second one is fruits,” he was cited by Interfax as saying.
Dvorkovich added that other types of products might also be subject to an import ban, but that fruits and vegetables are the main products affected.
The ban will begin in a few weeks — that way retailers will be able to find alternative suppliers, Dvorkovich said. “We're basing this decision on the necessity to avoid additional growth in food prices within the domestic market,” he said.
Twenty percent of all vegetables imported into Russia are from Turkey, Interfax reported. Ninety percent of all imported lemons are also Turkish, the report said. In 2014 four percent of all food imported into the country came from Turkey.
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