Russia to encourage value-added production to feed growing consumption

The output of the fishery industry in Russia increased by 7% in 2007, that is much more than it had been expected, the head of Russia's State Fisheries Committee Andrey Krainy said at a conference in Khabarovsk on February, 6. He also added that in the meantime consumption of seafood in big cities has increased even at a greater rate. In particular, according to statistical data, the increase of consumption in Moscow reached 38% in the year 2007.

The statistical figures show that Russian people will be gradually changing the structure of their daily diets, as soon as they can afford it. For instance, if the level of the total income of the family exceeds the sum of RUB 10,000 per person, the amount of seafood products in the family menu grows respectively. Naturally the consumers have been switching to more healthy and digestible products like seafood in the last couple of years.

In this situation the State Fisheries Committee is preparing some measures to protect the domestic market of value-added seafood products. Among them it is planned to increase of customs duties for finished imported products and exported raw materials, because it is not profitable for Russia to add value to its products abroad, Krainy pointed out.