The FSBI “Agroexport” open seminar “Export of agricultural products: certification and standards”, which took place on 23 September 2020, was held with the support of the Russian Agricultural Bank (RusAg, the Bank).
The seminar was attended by Sergey Levin, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, Andrey Trusov, Head of the Global Markets Operations Support at RusAg, Albert Davleev, President of Agrifood Strategies consulting company, as well as industry experts and business representatives.
At the beginning of the seminar, Sergei Levin said that in 2020 Russian agricultural exports, despite the restrictive measures in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, are showing positive dynamics. To maintain sustainable development, it is necessary to ensure that domestic products meet the growing requirements of foreign markets. These include religious and organic certifications, HACCP safety standards, and conditions for food service suppliers.
Andrey Trusov, Head of the Global Markets Operations Support at RusAg, noted in his speech that in the supply of organic products, the most promising is the export of organic crop production, primarily grains, oilseeds, and green feeds. “Russian Agricultural Bank is making every effort to ensure the most favorable conditions for our exporters when working in foreign markets. We aim to ensure that as many Russian companies as possible enter foreign markets,” he said. – Grains, fat-and-oil products and fish now account for a significant share of domestic agricultural exports, but the share of sugar, confectionery, and meat supplies is also growing, which means that commodity diversification is obvious.”
Andrey Trusov also said that effective settlement and financial services are important for the successful development of product exports in the modern world: “High quality and range of product solutions, security of payments, and speed of response to changing market conditions are the most important drivers for choosing a service bank for an exporter. Through continuous improvement of the foreign trade product line, we strive for the status of the first choice Bank for agribusiness and TOP-3 for all Russian exporters.” He noted that the accumulated 20-year expertise of international market knowledge allows the Bank to offer exporters technologically advanced and convenient services, including for the implementation of long-term investment projects. “This year, when making transactions with foreign banks, we observe a growing interest in mutual cooperation in the area of trade finance. We are actively working to expand the limit space for documentary transactions, and many banks and their clients take direct risk to RusAg. We also see EXIAR's invaluable role in insuring transactions with corporate clients and banks in this area,” summed up Andrey Trusov.
The participants of the seminar were presented with a report on the mechanism for compensating costs on certification of agricultural products for foreign markets.
The presentation of Elena Saratseva, Deputy Head of the Russian Quality System, was devoted to certification of organic products. “Roskachestvo submitted an application to the German organics accreditation body DakkS this year,” she said. “The presence in Russia of an agency whose organic certificate will be officially recognized by the European Commission will help to significantly increase the export potential of Russian products, since it will be easier and cheaper for domestic enterprises to get certified in Russia.”
This seminar was the first in a series of events that will be held within the framework of cooperation between Agroexport and Russian Agricultural Bank, aimed at increasing the export potential of the Russian agribusiness.