The agricultural holding “AgriVolga” announced the dependence of the production of sour cream on imports

Russian producers of dairy products are “totally” dependent on imported enzymes in the production of sour cream, if the West imposes sanctions in this area, then Russia will have a shortage of this product. Such a statement done founder of the agricultural holding “AgriVolga” Sergey Bachin in an interview RBC.

“If suddenly Europe imposes sanctions on dairy cultures, then we will not have sour cream in Russia. We will not be able to produce it, because the dependence here is total. I think this is a strategic level problem,” he said.

Bachin clarified that, first of all, we are talking about biosourdoughs, which are used for the production of fermented milk products and cheese making. According to the founder of the agricultural holding, the share of imported starters in the Russian market is 90%. He added that there are no factories in the Russian Federation for their production, except for an experimental biofactory in Uglich and “small laboratories that are trying to do something.”

In April 2022, concerns about a possible ban on the supply of starter cultures in the Russian Federation expressed founder of the dairy holding “Molvest” (brand “Vkusnoteevo”) Arkady Ponomarev. In an interview RBC he stated that Molvest produces its own sourdough, but most of the companies depend on imports. So far, “no one has vetoed supplies,” but there are such risks, he noted.

In January, dairy producers also reported about the threat of a reduction in the production of desserts and yogurts due to the risk of a shortage of modified corn starches due to sanctions. Later at the Ministry of Economic Development declaredthat the Russian market is reorienting corn starch supply channels from alternative suppliers from Asia and the Middle East.