Russia willing to make concession for India on cheese imports given tight control of milk
MOSCOW. July 31 (Interfax) - Russia's Federal Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Oversight Service (Rosselkhoznadzor) is willing to drop one of its requirements for India concerning shipments of cheese to Russia on the condition that India ensure effective control over the quality of milk and the epizootic situation in the country.
At talks in Moscow on Thursday with an Indian delegation led by the head of the Commerce Department of the Commerce and Industry Ministry, Guruprasad Mohapatra, the Indian officials noted the difficulty of meeting the Russian requirement that cheese produced for Russia must be made from milk from herds of at least 1,000 cows, the Russian watchdog said. India currently has only two such herds, which is constraining production of dairy products for the Russian market.
The head of the Russian delegation, Rosselkhoznadzor department head Vasily Lavrovsky said this requirement was included in the draft agreement because dangerous animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis and tuberculosis have been reported in India, and it is far easier to ensure control over animal health at large farms than at small ones.
But Rosselkhoznadzor representatives said they are willing to drop this requirement on the condition that India presents an effective system of control.
"This system must ensure effective control over the epizootic situation and the safety of milk produced at farms with fewer animals. Its key elements must be individual marking of animals, tracking of their movement and monitoring of their health and safety of milk," the watchdog said.
Consultations on this issue will continue at the expert level in September.
In April, Rosselkhoznadzor included two Indian companies - M/s Parag Milk Foods Pvt. Ltd and M/s Schieber Dynamix Dairies Ltd. - in the register of cheese suppliers to Russia. However, their certification was suspended until India signs a protocol on the conditions of product exports to Russia.
The negotiations also touched on exports of agricultural products from Russia to India. Rosselkhoznadzor recalled its query about Indian requirements for poultry, pork and cattle hide shipments. Russia is also prepared to export grain and legumes to India.
