Speaking at the European Pig Producers (EPP) congress in Dublin this week, director of meat and livestock and sustainability development with Bord Bia Jim O’Toole said there is no political will from Russia to end the embargo.

“The political situation in Russia is very volatile. There have been a number of false dawns in terms of people saying there will be a reopening,” O’Toole said.

“At this stage, it’s very difficult to call. I don’t think there are any great grounds for optimism. We’re looking at it won’t be opened for some time yet.

Despite the Bord Bia stance, reports emanating out of Moscow and Brussels this week suggest that there is a political will to ease the ban.

Demands

According to Brussels-based publication Agra Facts, Russia “is expected to send a list of its key demands to Brussels within one month, as Moscow is seeking quid pro quo for the potential easing” of the ban of food imports from the EU, USA, Canada, Australia and Norway, which has been in place since July 2014.

It is not yet clear what Russia will demand from Europe to ease the embargo, but according to Agra Facts Moscow will look for Brussels to “revisit the blacklist of high-ranking Kremlin officials such as the removal of the country’s Agriculture Minister Alexandre Tkatchev”.

With the Rio 2016 Olympics on the horizon and Russian athletes banned from the games, it is understood that Russia will look for its athletes to be allowed participate in return for an easing of the food ban.

Russia banned food imports from these regions following western sanctions on Russia for its annexing of Crimea. Europe had been exporting €12bn worth of food to Russia prior to the embargo.

New Bord Bia offices

Jim O’Toole also confirmed that the food board is opening two new offices to help grow Irish food exports abroad.

The two new offices will be in Warsaw, Poland, and Singapore. O’Toole said Bord Bia had been serving the European market out of its Dusseldorf office in Germany.

“It is (the eastern European market) one that has been growing and we want to develop exports to that region further,” O’Toole confirmed.

The office in Singapore will be focused on delivering for two sectors in particular.

“(The Singapore office) will be a hub for dairy and pork for southeast Asia, which is just an enormous market. Our office in Shanghai has been very busy, but we need to broaden our efforts in southeast Asia,” O’Toole added.