Argentina's lemons are gaining ground in Russia, despite the thousands of kilometres that separate the two countries. Other traditional exporters of this fruit, such as Spain, are no longer shipping their product to this market because of Moscow's ban on food shipments from the European Union.
"Spain can no longer export lemons to Russia," admitted Roberto Nicolas, marketing consultant for All Lemon, a quality label that brings together sixteen producers of lemons from throughout Argentina.
This association and other Argentine lemon producers created a spectacular display at the WorldFood fair, which was recently held in Moscow.
"There are two reasons for the large presence of lemons in Argentina's exhibition this year. The first one is that we are a major producer. And the second one is that Spain has had few lemons this year," said Nicolas, who was reluctant to talk about their competitors and the Russian embargo on European food.
According to Nicholas, All Lemon increased lemon exports to Russia by 80 percent in just one year.
Another producer of Argentine citrus present at the fair was Jorge Morresi, who has exported fruits to the Russian market for fifteen years. Morresi was cautious and recognised that the distance separating Russia from Argentina and the production costs in Argentina made their oranges and lemons less competitive.
"South Africa is closer to Russia, they collect their harvest in the same season and have a much lower production cost, as a box costs one dollar and a half," said Morresi.
The Russian embargo against the EU, which was adopted in response to the sanctions Brussels imposed on Moscow for its role in the Ukraine crisis, has caused a fall in imports of Spanish foods to Russia valued at 785.3 million euro in just one year.
Additionally, Russia has had a recession for more than two years, compounded by the sharp depreciation of the rouble, which has lost more than half its value.
The embargo has caused a historic change in the Russian market, which has opened its doors to new producers, including many countries from Latin America, and has boosted the national industry, one of the few growth sectors in the current economic situation.
Source: EFE