Russia faces banana shortage after suspending imports from Ecuador
Moscow faces a banana shortage after attempting to punish Ecuador over arms shipment to Ukraine, prompting Rosselkhozbank to suggest growing bananas in Russia, reports Agensvo Novosti.
In January, Ecuador agreed to hand over old Soviet military equipment to Ukraine, in exchange for new American weapons. In early February, Russia's agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said it had discovered medfly infestations in Ecuadorian bananas and suspended their import from February 5.
Moscow has previously resorted to similar measures against various products from countries with which it had strained relations, intending to make Russia's adversaries feel the Kremlin's displeasure in their wallets. The move could potentially cost Ecuador up to $754 million annually, as the restrictions impact over 30% of the country's banana shipments to Russia.
For about a week, Russian government-controlled media maintained that replacing Ecuadorian bananas would not pose a great challenge. "There should be no problems with banana deliveries to Russia," reported TASS on February 6. Igor Karavaev, Chairman of the Presidium of AKORT (Association of Retail companies), explained that only a few exporters from Ecuador were banned, and Russian companies are adept at adjusting their logistics.
Ecuador is not the only banana producer; other market leaders include India and China, Karavaev pointed out. Almost immediately, the first batch of bananas from India arrived, replacing the Ecuadorian supply, according to the Russian Channel One.
Despite media assurances, bananas soon vanished from store shelves in Chelyabinsk.
Rosselkhozbank now suggests that the shortage will become nationwide within a month. Oleg Knyazkov, the head of Industry Expertise Center at the state-run Rosselkhozbank, told Gazeta.ru that a noticeable lack of bananas will begin in about a month, as previous shipments will still reach Russian stores.
Bananas from India are expected to arrive later, but their delivery is currently delayed by logistical challenges, Knyazkov added. He also noted that negotiations are ongoing to resume shipments from Ecuador.
Knyazkov believes that in the meantime, the temporary shortage could be compensated by growing bananas in Russia, citing successful experiments with acclimatizing tropical plants in the Krasnodar region.