Russian agriculture watchdog bans five Uzbek exporters from shipping vegetables to Russia as of July 23

MOSCOW. July 21 (Interfax) - Russian agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor is limiting imports of quarantinable produce from the five Uzbek exporters who have committed the most violations of phytosanitary requirements from July 23 onwards, Rosselkhoznadzor reported.

Most of the produce imported from them is vegetables and green crops - in particular, cabbage and cauliflower, onion, dill, parsley, beetroots and tomatoes. The imports also include grapes.

"This decision has been taken due to an increase in the frequency of quarantine organisms being detected in imports of quarantinable produce from Uzbekistan to Russia, as well as to ensure food safety and the phytosanitary worthiness of Russian territory, and to prevent the import and spread of quarantine organisms," Rosselkhoznadzor said.

According to data from Rosselkhoznadzor, there have been 132 detections of quarantine organisms since the beginning of 2026, including tomato brown rugose fruit virus, South American tomato pinworm, Western flower thrips (California thrips) and beet necrotic yellow vein virus.

"The systematic violation of Russian and international phytosanitary regulations confirms that Uzbekistan's system is insufficiently effective in ensuring the safety of quarantinable produce supplied to the Russian market," Rosselkhoznadzor said.