Mexico’s state of Jalisco begins to export food to Russia

MEXICO CITY, August 1. /TASS/. Farming enterprises in Mexico’s state of Jalisco, in the west of the country will begin to export food to Russia soon under a trade agreement between the government of Jalisco and the Russian authorities. Jalisco’s Agriculture Minister Javier Guizar Macias said the situation on Russia’s food market was opening a "window of opportunity to products from Jalisco." The region’s Development Minister Hector Padilla, has mentioned some Mexican goods likely to be competitive on the Russian market, such as avocado, citrus fruit, berries, mango, honey, tomatoes and also pork and beef. At the moment Jalisco’s sole export item on the Russian market is tequila. Russia’s ambassador to Mexico, Eduard Malayan, has told TASS that Jalisco’s producers were determined to participate in various food exhibitions in Russia to promote their selections. "They have very strong positions by many parameters, for instance, in the production of citrus fruit and avocado. Logistics are very good," the diplomat said. Another large group of Mexican producers led by the minister of agriculture will visit Russia in the autumn to identify new areas of cooperation. The Mexicans have been able to see that "their Latin American partners have jumped at the opportunity to get to the Russian market in the context of sanctions and have made a decision not to miss their chance," Malayan said. "Naturally, we can only welcome the diversification of trade, the development of ties and the growth in the number of partners in Latin America," Malayan said. "It is essential to ensure they match our farming standards and rules." Alongside Jalisco a number of other states, such as Tamaulipas, Chiapas, Baja California and others have taken interest in the Russian market. The Russian ambassador said there was no day without more proposals from Mexican producers and manufacturers. According to Mexico’s Economics Ministry trade between Moscow and Mexico in 2014 totaled 1,78 billion dollars, with Russia having a large surplus. Since 1999 bilateral trade has grown eleven fold, by 17% a year on the average. Mexico’s basic export items sold to Russia were cars, spare parts, tequila and beer. Read more