Distribution centre for Sakhalin fish to be opened in Moscow

On 30 May 2007 Sakhalin government and the Food Department of Moscow city government signed a cooperation agreement with Moscow to help build a distribution centre for Sakhalin seafood for further sale to the capital's wholesale and retail network.

According to Sakhalin's governor Ivan Malakhov, the idea to launch the province's network of trade centers has come from a drive to force out counterfeit goods circulated on the market of Moscow and other regions of the country under Sakhalin's labels.

At the same time, according to head of Moscow's food department Alexander Baburin, imported seafood has won the third place in Moscow food basket, while seafood consumption in the city has reached 24 kilos and it has been continuously growing despite price rises. Besides, Baburin has complained about the generally low level of seafood quality in Moscow shops and confirmed his willingness to launch modern distribution centers. He also says that in August-September 2007 Moscow officials will come to Sakhalin to get the project off the ground.

Sakhalin's governor Ivan Malakhov says that the province's government has got more than thirty cooperation agreements with other provinces of the Russian Federation, but the closest cooperation has been established only with Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk and Moscow.