Russia continues ruthless food wars with its population and the rest of the world, as the government of the country takes a tougher line towards trade with its political rivals and ready to impose new bans as a response to any provocation.
So, now the Russian officials focused their attention on tomatoes. These blood-red fruits failed to shake the national principles, as the they are restrained by the customs on the Russian border. Earlier, the Turkish tomatoes prevailed in the Russian markets because of low price and good taste. According to official data, more than 40 percent of tomatoes grown in Turkey were exported to Russia. Now they buy tomatoes from China. After the ban was introduced, China has significantly increased import of tomatoes to Russia. In addition, Russia expanded its own production by 18 percent over the past year. Apparently, the "tomato war" will continue in the near future and Turkey will lose even more.
Now, Russia can proudly count the losses of the enemy. Kirill Lashin, an analyst at the National Fruit and Vegetable Producers Union, said that thanks to the well-coordinated actions of the Russian officials, the Turkish tomato producers have already lost more than $2 billion. Moreover, given the resolute mood of the Russians, Turkey could lose even more.
