Evgeniya Kravchenko during the convention at Macfrut.
"On the contrary, Italians can do and gain a lot in Russia'' - Evgeniya Kravchenko, marketing and food promotion expert, affirmed, during a convention at the Macfrut event in Rimini - ''The fruit and vegetable sector is developing more than other fields". Krasnodar is the region where fruit and vegetable growing is most developed.
After a period of economic growth, Russia has slipped into a recession.
Inflation is high (13% in 2015), the Ruble has fallen 45% against the euro, (89 Russian Ruble = 1 Euro in 2016). Importation has decreased by roughly 40%. The Ministry of the Economy predicts a recovery in 2017. However, the agri-food industry is growing (2%). It is no surprise because also in Italy, during the economic crisis, it was this sector that kept things going.
Russia has decided to start again by limiting importation and becoming more self-sufficient, but letting foreign countries make investments.
In 2014, the Russian government approved more than 500 projects of foreign investments. "In 2015 - Evgeniya said – importation of fruit and vegetable products decreased by 33%". Yet, Russia needs 20.5 million tons of vegetables per year.
Gianluca Bagnara, economic analyst, has affirmed several times that the embargo is a form of self-protection and it is going to last a long time.
Russia is a great power, but it can be easily defeated in a few days because it is not self-sufficient yet as far as food is concerned since it produces only 15% of the total amount. Putin's goal, on the other hand, is to reach 50% in a few years.
Evgeniya concluded "Russia's priorities are financing the construction of greenhouses to produce vegetables for a longer period and developing infrastructures and logistics. The government will pay 20% of the expenses to build the greenhouses, from 3 to 30 hectares. Material can be imported up to 70%".