Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh held a meeting with Russian Agriculture Minister Oxana Lut on Thursday to discuss a range of issues on expanding bilateral trade, resolving market access issues, and fast-tracking establishment listings for exports.
The discussions also focused on collaboration in research, education & emerging aquaculture technologies, including deep-sea fishing vessels, aquaculture emerging technologies and processing. Singh said that 12 Indian dairy firms including Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul) are awaiting registration with Russia’s federal service for veterinary and phytosanitary supervision platform that will enable them to sell their products there.
What did Singh say?
He said 19 Indian fisheries establishments have been listed on the platform, taking the total to 128. Singh also urged early approvals for Indian entities in the dairy, buffalo meat, and poultry sectors in the platform. India exported fish and fishery products worth of $127 million to Russia in FY25.
Singh stressed on the diversification of India’s marine products exports to Russia with products such as shrimp, prawns, mackerel, sardines, tuna, crab, squid, and cuttlefish. “Russian side expressed readiness to take products from India, including fish and fishery products, meat and meat products, and showed interest in developing the trout market through a joint technical project that could lead to joint ventures,” according to an official statement.
Lut’s response
While stating that India is the second top exporter of shrimp to Russia, Lut said, “Some items are manufactured in Russia and some in India, and the products which Russia needs, can be supplied by India and the products which India needs can be supplied by Russia to India for strengthening mutual trade.”