The first victims were 114 tons of pork, destroyed in accordance with the new provision, which now applies to Russia’s borders. The meat, found in six trucks in the Volga city of Samara, came officially from Brazil, but the inspectors of Russian Agricultural Inspectorate Rosselkhoznadzor were skeptical. They thought it more likely that the goods come from Europe – and thus covered by the food embargo that Moscow has imposed a year ago in response to the EU sanctions. A new decree of President Vladimir Putin, according to such contraband is now “to destroy at the border”.
“The food is burned from now on” said Julia Melano, spokeswoman for the agricultural supervision. For meat and dairy products also have a processing into animal feed is under discussion. Video cameras and witnesses should monitor the disposal. But critics fear a new black market, organized crime and corruption. Others express mainly ethical concerns
Russia but will show strength in sanctions dispute with the West -. And at the same time curb the smuggling. Last August, Moscow had banned the import of meat and dairy products, fish, vegetables and fruits from the West, as a response to tougher sanctions. Recently, both sides have extended their sanctions.
Sausages in spare
food from the West found despite embargo paths in Russian supermarkets. Most goods were relabeled as apparently in Samara in order to conceal their true origin. Many products were imported through Belarus and Kazakhstan, in turn, countries of the Eurasian Economic Union and therefore free of strict border controls.
in the past few weeks alone, attended several cases stir , A man from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad stopped checkers while trying to smuggle nearly half a ton of cheese from Poland to his homeland. Shortly before failed another who wanted to bring in his car sausages, caviar and cheese from Finland to St. Petersburg: hidden in the trunk, in the hood and in the spare wheel. Even on the remote Kamchatka Peninsula, nearly 7,000 kilometers east of Moscow, found inspectors boxes of cherries, peaches and nectarines from Spain and Poland.
The revolt of the hungry
Overall, the authorities detected since last August to between 700 and 800 smuggling cases, as Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich announced. More than 500 tons of illegal foods seized the publicans in the first six months of this year. To date the goods were sent back to their countries of origin. That changes with the new decree. The decision, confiscated goods to destroy, therefore provides strong criticism
In Russia memories of past decades are awake, in which had to experience lack people.: the famine during the Siege of Leningrad in World War II, the shortage in the Soviet era or the poverty of the 90s. Poverty is again today a growing problem. Meanwhile, almost 23 million Russians live below the subsistence level, which is almost 140 euros a month.
Hardly anything is because further, as excess food easy to destroy. To see at least critics of the new rule. They call, instead to distribute the goods to the needy: orphanages, homeless, poor, refugees from the Ukraine. “A dignified and humane alternative” would find that Alexander Boroda, President of the Jewish Community. Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party, suggested to leave the food facilities of the Orthodox Church or to send them to the war zones of eastern Ukraine. Yevgeny Bobrov, a member of the Human Rights Council at the Russian president, compared the approach with “tyranny”
A started on the Internet Initiative asks. “Why food destroy instead they give to veterans, pensioners, the disabled, large families and other people in need? ” So to all those people who are particularly affected by the economic problems with which Russia has to contend not only since the Western sanctions. Especially the massive devaluation of the ruble, due to the decline in oil prices, makes many Russians to create. Affected is now no longer just a thin middle class who complained first about the lack of Italian Parmesan and French cheese. Inflation now amounts to almost 16 percent. Above all, the food prices have risen massively.
Meanwhile, the online petition have nearly 250,000 people signed. They are asking Parliament to adopt a law on the free distribution of food to the most deprived to be destroyed.
The Government is unimpressed. Finally, she aims to reduce dependence on Western imports. Russia’s agriculture but did not make it so far to exploit the vast fertile land sufficient. Until self-sufficiency, it is a long way. Five to ten years it will take according to estimates by agricultural ministers Alexander Tkachev. Meanwhile, urges President Putin to make other sectors of the economy regardless.
import ban on condoms
Just the government plans Therefore new rules on the import of medical goods that are already subject to partial restrictions. To date, the sector to 80 per cent is dependent on imports. In the new proposal, the Ministry of Commerce it comes to high-quality equipment such as defibrillators and x-ray equipment that Russia continue to establish itself.
Restrictions should also for crutches, bandages and condoms from the West apply. This seems all the more dramatic when one considers that Russia is struggling with soaring HIV infection. Gennady Onischenko, Russia’s chief medical officer earlier, believes, however, the new rules have led to a more responsible management while having sex – and could even help solve Russia’s demographic problem. Statistical evidence for this idea, however, he remained guilty.
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