Russia’s Embargo On Pork And Beef Hurting Food Prices, Turns To Crocodiles During Food Crisis
Over the past months or so, Russia has been in the news because of their involvement with the Ukraine. The Inquisitr reported with up-to-date articles on the situation between both countries in which the latest news includes Russia calling the United States a global bully and blaming the Ukraine situation on them, and that 215 Russian trucks crossed over into Ukraine allegedly carrying humanitarian aid.
Nevertheless, Russia’s actions against Ukraine have left a sour taste in the mouths of many Western nations, including the United States. Therefore, many of the countries imposed sanctions on Russia in which Russian authorities responded by clamping an embargo on Western food imports such as beef and pork. As a result, Russia is turning to another source for their protein: crocodiles.
According to an article by The Moscow Times, Russia’s food safety watchdog has given approval for the import of crocodile meat from the Philippines to replace beef and pork, which is banned under Moscow’s embargo on Western countries’ food imports. The veterinary and sanitary inspection agency, Rosselkhoznadzor, added a Filipino produce of frozen crocodile meat, Coral Agri-ventures Farm, to its list of companies allowed to supply food to the Russian market. It should also be reported that Russia is also visiting India to consider importing buffalo meat, lifting its dismissal for many years because of quality concerns.
To help push the selling of crocodile meat, the government’s official daily paper recently published an article praising the culinary qualities of exotic meats in an article titled “Grilled Crocodiles and Hippos on a Skewer.” This article also included other forms of meat considered exotic to Russia such as kangaroo, shark, and ostrich.
However, The Blaze reports that the reason for the country’s sudden interest in exotic meats is because the embargo on Western food products is hurting the Russian market by sending grocery prices soaring and greatly worsening inflation. DW was one of the sources used in which they reported details on the embargo’s backfire. For example, wholesale prices for chicken legs on Sakhalin Island in Russia’s Far East skyrocketed by 60 percent. The cost of meat in the nearby Primorsky region rose by 26 percent. Finally, fish prices went up 40 percent. Overall, meat prices in general have gone up.
Now that you’ve read the report on Russia looking to crocodiles as a way to counter the rising prices of other meats in their market, what are your opinions? Does this give Russia the chance to expand their internal sources for food to lower prices? Is it better to go to outside sources for the country? Please let everyone know in the comments below.
[Image via freestockphotos.biz]
