Russia is importing butter from the UAE in an effort to curb the alarming rise in prices that have concerned consumers. Agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor announced on Saturday that shipments of butter from the UAE commenced on October 18. "Previously, there had been no deliveries of butter from the UAE to Russia," the watchdog stated.
The price of a block of butter has surged by 25.7% since last December, according to Russia's statistics service. This increase is notably higher than the overall inflation rate of 8.6%, leading to a series of butter thefts in some supermarkets. So far, the UAE has supplied 90 metric tons of butter to Russia, which also began importing butter from Turkey in October.
Russia is aiming to boost butter supplies to stabilize prices and ensure availability for the domestic market. Butter imports from Latin America to Russia have dropped significantly this year, falling to 2,800 tons from 25,000 tons in 2014, according to Rosselkhoznadzor. The watchdog cited Western sanctions as one of the factors contributing to the decline in deliveries. "The reduction in the volume of butter imports from Latin America to Russia may be linked to transport and logistics issues, sanctions, and the absence of agreements between businesses," it noted.
Belarus, the leading supplier of butter to Russia, has increased its exports by 9% this year to 110,000 tons.
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