Five Nicaraguan firms may now sell their shrimp products to Russian buyers. (Photo: Stock File)

Seafood exports to Russia to kick off in July

NICARAGUA
Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 15:30 (GMT + 9)

Nicaragua may begin to export shrimp and lobster to Russia in July, following the granting of required sanitary and quality certifications to several shrimp farming companies and laboratories by a Russian inspection team, the Farming and Forest Ministry announced.

The shipments would take place in the middle of year under the auspices of a commercial memorandum of understanding signed some days ago between the governments of Nicaragua and Russia on fish product commercialisation.

The Russian delegates visited several industrial plants in the Caribbean and Pacific to inspect the processing procedures, indicated the Ministry's coordinator in the area of Fisheries, Elliot Lopez.

“The opening of the Russian Federation's market is an excellent opportunity for the country,” he stated.

For now, some details remain to be worked out regarding product prices and volumes to be exported by the local companies of Salma, Langostinos and Camanica, three of the five firms certified.

The head of the Russian delegation, Dubrovin Ergeny, commented on Russia’s interest in acquiring some 500,000 tonnes of Nicaraguan marine products during the agreement's signing in Managua. 

According to available data, domestic seafood production last year surpassed 25,000 tonnes.

Of the total, 14,720 tonnes consisted of farmed shrimp, 4,600 tonnes of fish, 1,300 tonnes of trawled shrimp and 1,200 tonnes of lobster.

The export value of these products totalled USD 137 million. Broken down, USD 56 million were obtained from shrimp sales and USD 40 million from sales of lobster, Notimex reports.

Related articles:

- Local shrimp and fish en route to Russia
- Worldwide interest in domestic shellfish spikes

By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com  

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