Russian consumers are eating more fruit and veg and cutting out the sugary drinks, according to the Russian Minister of Health, Veronika Skvortsova.
"For 10 years (2005 to 2015), according to statistics, the average per capita consumption of vegetables (and melon) in Russia has increased by 10%, and that of fruits and berries by 38%. Consumption of sugar, in turn, has decreased by almost 10%," stated Skvortsova.
The Minister stressed that an all encompassing special commission, which was dedicated to protecting the health of Russian citizens, which includes government ministers, as well as representatives of religious and public organisations, has helped to boost consumption.
According to Zamir Mammadov, from Russian importer Dan Fruit, he is not surprised, as he has noticed that Russian consumers are increasingly more interested in their health and are very tuned in to learning, through both education and the media.
"A perfect example can be seen during this time of the year as demand for citrus fruits increase, not only for their good taste, but also for their health benefits." shared Mammadov.
DanFruit imports citrus from Morocco, Turkey, Pakistan and China for the Russian market. For clementines in particular, which are very popular at the moment, the most preferred source is Morocco.
This season has not been as good as last year, on the back of Morocco coming to market early, with lower prices; and the colour is also less than desired. The recent embargo on Turkey has also negatively affected the market prices, and Mammadov reported that, for the first year ever, Turkish citrus prices are higher than Moroccan.
"In general, Russian consumers are not interested in particular varieties and usually don't know the difference between clementines from different countries. The most important thing is the price and that they look good. However, there is demand for clementines coming from specific producers from Morocco, which are sold at higher prices, but this is a very small market." said Mammadov.
For more information:
Zamir Mammadov
Dan Fruit
Tel: +7 812 386 64 996
Email: [email protected]