Russian Pet Industry fears stock supply issues

The letter stated that the pet industry is against the invasion against Ukraine, but there is nothing they can do to stop it. 'Each of us makes his or her own decisions. You are making yours. And we respect any of them. We will appreciate if you choose not to stop pet product supplies to Russia. All 70 million pets in Russia need your products.

'Pets are not involved in politics; they are not responsible for conflicts or wrong decisions made by somebody else and they should not suffer because of those decisions.'

Amongst the companies scaling back operations are Mars, who declared they will no longer be importing or exporting products in or out of Russia. Nestle has also suspended the imports and exports of non-essential products but will continue importing 'tailored nutrition and therapeutic pet foods for specialist retailers and veterinarian clinics'.

The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselhoznadzor), a federal executive body from the Ministry of Agriculture, will meet with a delegation of pet food producers to discuss import replacement and supply diversification on the domestic market on 21 March, reported GlobalPETS.

The letter from Zooinform said that the pet business world is small, and its international partners have worked together and trusted each other for a long time.

'Now when people need more appeasement and solace, they will care for their pets and cherish them even more, and Russia is not an exception. We want to give them this opportunity, with your support. Especially in these terrible times, which we all hope will be over very soon. Let's stand for peace together!'

by Zooinform