12 Dec 2019 15:45

Rosselkhoznadznor sends back 18 tonnes of Turkish pomegranates with Mediterranean fruit fly larvae

BRYANSK. Dec 12 (Interfax) - Rosselkhoznadzor's branch for the Bryansk and Smolensk Regions has blocked 18.1 tonnes of Turkish pomegranates containing Mediterranean fruit fly larvae from entering Russia at Bryansk's Novye Yurkovichi checkpoint.

The fruit was on its way to the Moscow Region. It has been returned to the company that shipped it.

The Mediterranean fruit fly feeds on around 200 varieties of tropical and subtropical fruit (oranges, mandarins, lemons, bananas, pomegranates), along with apricots, plums, apples, and cherries, as well as vegetables from the nightshade family, such as tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.