Irish exports to Russia down 80% as import ban extends

The recent announcement that the Russian ban on certain European Union food imports will be extended — for a further year to August 2016 — has been described as “extremely disappointing” by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

The Russian Federation imposed the ban last August in response to penalties imposed by the US and the EU over its actions supporting a proxy war in Ukraine.

Mr Coveney told the Dáil in reply to Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris that there are difficult geopolitical tensions at play, and that a negative impact on the EU’s agri-food sector is an unfortunate consequence.