Russian grape imports to dip slightly

One of the world’s leading importers of table grapes, Russia’s 2020/2021 imports of table grapes are projected to decline slightly to 280,000 tons, due to the continuing decline in Russian consumers’ purchasing power, according to a report by the USDA.  Nevertheless, in the June-August 2020 period, Russia imported 70,070 tons of table grapes worth $80.6 million, up 20% from the same period last year, which was a record. Supply from countries, such as Turkey, Uzbekistan, Egypt, which sell more affordable product, is going up. Even during the off-season, Russians continue to buy table grapes from the South Hemisphere for events and special occasions. Local production of table grapes covers only 7% of domestic demand and most are sold through the retail sector.