RA Ministry of Agriculture: statements that Abkhazia supplies Turkish tomatoes to Russia are untrue

The Ministry of Agriculture of Abkhazia commented the information about the increase in the supply of tomatoes to Russia.

Sukhum. April 18. Apsnypress. The RA Ministry's of Agriculture comments, in particular, says:

 "Recently, the media reported that Abkhazia is supplying tomatoes produced in Turkey to Russia. In particular, a number of Internet resources referring to the newspaper "Izvestia", published articles with the headings "Abkhazia is suspected of supplying Turkish tomatoes to Russia", where the statement of the president of the National Union of Producers of Vegetables Sergey Korolev is quoted. In his statement Sergey Korolyov refers to the data of the Federal Customs Service indicating an increase in the supply of tomatoes to the territory of Russia from Abkhazia.

 The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Abkhazia states that Sergey Korolev's remarks that Abkhazia supplies Turkish tomatoes to Russia do not correspond to reality. The increase in the volume of tomatoes deliveries to Russia from 140 tons to 2,000 tons was caused by the commissioning in 2016 of a greenhouse plant LLC Avai Agro, with a production volume of 3,000 tons and oriented to the Russian market. And also by three more hothouse combines that have been functioning recently in the republic.

 In early 2017, the delegation of Rosselkhoznadzor of the Russian Federation was in Abkhazia on a working visit, in connection with the increase in the supply of tomatoes from the republic to Russia. The delegation was received by the RA Ministry of Agriculture. Representatives of the Rosselkhoznadzor were shown greenhouses, as well as acquainted with the process of growing vegetable products, conditions and production volumes. The result of the Rosselkhoznadzor commission's work was a document on the accreditation of greenhouses of the Republic of Abkhazia, with the volume of 8,000 tons, for the sale of products on the Russian market.

 Vegetable growing is a priority direction for the development of agribusiness in Abkhazia which is successfully developing. To date, 4 greenhouse combines operate on the territory of Abkhazia, with a total production of 6,250 tons. There is work on the construction and start-up of the hothouse combine LLC "Kyndyg Agro", with a production volume of 2,070 tons per year. At the development stage, together with investors from Tatarstan, is the project of construction of another greenhouse complex in the village of Reka, Ochamchira district. But the republic is not limited to this. According to the state strategy for the development of agriculture there are created conditions  for the inflow of investments into vegetable growing and further increase in the volume of production of vegetable products".