Russia looks for ways to soften impact of food import bans

[pampango]

Russia will allow imports from neighbouring Belarus and Kazakhstan of food processed from Western raw materials which fall under Moscow's embargo, Russian news agencies quoted Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich as saying.

Last week, Russia banned all meat, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetable imports from the United States, the European Union, Norway, Canada, and Australia for one year to retaliate against Western sanctions slapped on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

However, the government has struggled to control price rises, since some 50 percent of Russian consumption of fish, milk, beef and cheese had been previously met by imports.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/18/ukraine-crisis-russia-food-idUSL5N0QO2K020140818

EU offers €125m to farmers hit by Russian food ban

The European Commission on Monday announced emergency compensation worth €125m for fruit and vegetable growers expected to be hit by Russia's EU food ban. The funding is compensation for unsold produce which will instead be distributed free to schools and hospitals. Russia's import ban applies to most EU agricultural products.

http://euobserver.com/tickers/125282

Both sides are taking actions to soften the impact of sanctions on consumers in Russia and farmers in Europe.