Andrei Razin: "Halal products have great export potential"

The 27th International Exhibition for Food, Beverages and Food Raw Materials, Prodexpo 2020, has opened at the central exhibition center 'Expocentre' in Moscow. The exhibition is to be attended by more than 2.6 thousand exhibitors from 70 countries. Prodexpo 2020 was opened by Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Moscow Region Andrei Razin, after which he answered questions from Vestnik Kavkaza.

- What benefits from participation in the exhibition does Moscow oblast get?

- For the Moscow oblast, this exhibition has become a traditional forum in which we are actively engaged. Stands of more than 50 of our enterprises are presented here. For us, this is a good platform to exchange views with colleagues, to see our foreign partners' things are going, to offer our products for export.

For us, export is a new focus, which was stressed by both the president and our governor Andrei Vorobyov, so we actively promote our products.

Moscow oblast is a leader region in ready meals. That's because we provide food for the metropolitan region and promote our products to foreign markets.

- And you're working with the republics of the Caucasus?

- Speaking about the Caucasus, there are unconditional prospects for joint development here, including export, in particular, with regard to halal products. Our Moscow oblast-based Ekol company is the country's leader in halal products. Its products are delivered to foreign countries, including the Arab markets, where production is certified and meets the highest demands. I mean lamb and lamb finished products - this is a promising direction for development.

We also cooperate with our Caucasian colleagues in the fruit and vegetable industry through a network of wholesale and administrative centers located in the Caucasus and the Moscow oblast. In particular, the Slavtras-Service company works actively in these trade chains and can be a commodity-producing infrastructure for entering foreign markets.

Inducing in China, where a certain demand for Russian products has already been formed.

- The official sponsor of this Prodexpo is Azerbaijan. Do you remain in contact?

- Azerbaijan supplies many fruits, vegetables and canned goods to Moscow oblast and Moscow. For our part, we supply dairy products and confectionery products abroad. There is synergy in trade relations, and we will continue to increase the volume of our interaction.

Moscow oblast is the transport hub. Almost all product movements pass through there, are distributed there, and then sent to all regions: either to retail, or to distribution centers, or to specific consumers. Therefore, we have a certain aggregating role.