The Director of Agriculture in the Syrian province of Latakia, Mr Munther Kheirbek, revealed that the country’s agricultural exports to Russia amounted to 9 thousand tonnes since the beginning of the season this year as a result of the agreements reached between the two countries.
Kheirbek pointed out that Syria’s citrus fruit exports to Russia reached a volume of 8,445 tonnes since the beginning of the season, while the shipments of tomatoes, pomegranates and broccoli amounted to 482 tonnes.
In a related context, Igor Yakovenko, general manager of the Russian Dello Ports Corporation, which handles the loading and unloading of Syrian oranges and lemons, reported that Syria is still unable to fully replace Turkey’s citrus exports to the Russian market.
In a statement to the Russian agency TASS, Yakovenko said that “it is not likely for Syrian agricultural products to fully take Turkey’s place, as over the past years, Turkey had made great efforts to develop its agricultural production and logistics, with the supply and packaging of perishable crops up to the standards required by the Russian market.”
He also mentioned that while “Turkey’s withdrawal from the Russian market gives Syrian citrus a competitive opportunity, the Syrian produce is different in terms of both taste and varieties compared to the Turkish, so consumers first need to become familiar with them.”
Yakovenko pointed out that that most positive factor to ensure the success of Syrian products in the Russian market is their competitive price, as well as the fact that Syrian growers use very few chemical fertilizers.”
According to him, it is possible for Syrian agricultural crop exports to Russia to range between 150 and 200 thousand tonnes per year.
Furthermore, some experts predicted that the share of Syrian citrus in the Russian market may reach up to 10% by the end of this year.
Source: Fresh Plaza