Number of Dutch milk suppliers to Russia may go down 2-thirds

The number of Dutch dairy producers supplying goods to Russia and the territory of the Customs Union (CU) may shrink by two-thirds because of poor control at enterprises, the spokesman for Russia's Rosselkhoznadzor agency, Aleksey Alekseyenko, said on Friday. There are currently 64 enterprises on the list, which is due to be reconsidered in the near future by Russia’s veterinary inspection service and relevant authorities of the CU states (Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus). Rosselkhoznadzor’s claims, which the watchdog agency is ready to negotiate with the Netherlands at a video conference, are over a poor system of production control and lack of reliable certification of dairy products exported to the CU countries. According to Rosselkhoznadzor officials, the reason for such situation is the existing co-operation scheme between the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and the Controlling Authority for Milk and Milk Products (COKZ). Dairy products’ control in the country is mainly exercised not by the Netherlands’ state veterinary service, but by the COKZ, which is authorised by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, being, however, not included in the Netherlands’ state veterinary supervision system. Thus, this is not the country’s veterinary service, but another agency that in reality provides the Russian side with guarantees. Also, the Netherlands’ state veterinary inspectors sign veterinary certificates without carrying out an examination of products. “This alone is evidence the certification of products delivered from the Netherlands to the Customs Union countries is unreliable,” the Rosselkhoznadzor official said.