collecting

Russians are prohibited from collecting it – Russia today Publication in CHAT: Russia The State Duma of the Russian Federation has adopted in the first reading a bill aimed at simplifying the collection and export of pine nuts. The new law assumes that regional authorities will determine the locations and volumes of acquisition of this valuable resource. Currently, pine nuts collected for personal use are often purchased by harvesters and resold both in Russia and abroad. Sometimes entrepreneurs hire special teams that collect nuts on an industrial scale, passing them off as personal needs in order to avoid taxes and reduce costs. Pine nuts are considered a strategic resource of Russia. Illegal trafficking and smuggling of this product in large quantities are punishable by criminal liability with imprisonment for a term of 3 to 12 years. The adopted bill will amend the Forest Code of the Russian Federation, giving regions the right to independently determine the volumes and locations of obtaining nuts for personal use. It is also proposed to oblige participants in auctions for the commercial use of wild and medicinal plants to have processing infrastructure, which will help create new jobs and increase tax revenues. Demand for pine nut exports from Russia is expected to grow to $250 million, or 25,000 tons of nuts, in 2024, with China becoming the main buyer. The inclusion of pine nuts in the list of strategically important resources is intended to make the industry more transparent and controllable, as well as to stop illegal exports. Source link Source link