Japan seeking to expand list of beef suppliers to Russia
MOSCOW. March 23 (Interfax) - Japan is asking the Federal Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Oversight Service (Rosselkhoznadzor) to expand the list of companies that export beef to Russia.
The request was made at talks between Rosselkhoznadzor officials and Japanese embassy minister Hiroshi Tajima, the Russian watchdog said.
The veterinary certificate for Japanese beef exports to Russia was approved in July 2015. Three companies from the Hyogo Prefecture have been permitted to export to Russia.
Japan asked that Russia conduct inspections of another 12 companies as soon as possible. The Rosselkhoznadzor officials said inspections could be conducted this year, and that the watchdog would inspect both the proposed companies and those that have already begun to ship beef to Russia under guarantees from Japan's national veterinary authority.
Japan also expressed interest in exporting poultry meat and eggs to Russia. The Russian officials, in turn, informed the Japanese delegation that a number of Russian companies are interested in exporting meat products to Japan.
A total of 220 Japanese producers of animal products are interested in exporting to Russia.
Speaking about shipments of fish and fish products, Tajima expressed appreciation for the resumption of exports from 23 companies in Aomori Prefecture in July 2015. However, he asked that restrictions be lifted on products from another eight prefectures that were imposed after the Fukushima nuclear disaster five years ago, Rosselkhoznadzor said.
Radioactive contamination of marine bioresources was not found in 2015. The Rosselkhoznadzor officials expressed a willingness to study data on the radiological situation in the area of the disaster.
