Russia to import Dutch flowers on Aug 10, only on results of state inspection - Rosselkhoznadzor
MOSCOW. Aug 4 (Interfax) - Russia will import Dutch flowers on August 10, but only after the results of a state expert review.
"The decision on the possibility of importing cut flowers into Russia from the Netherlands starting on August 10, 2015 will be made only after a laboratory inspection of their phytosanitary state," Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement.
The decision was made to protect the country from imports and the spreading of organisms which are quarantined in Russia and for the preservation of phytosanitary welfare.
On July 27, 2015, Rosselkhoznadzor informed the phytosanitary services of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria, which certify Dutch flowers, about serious problems with the safety of these products and invited to conduct consultation, as well as to cease certification of Dutch flowers for the Russian market. However "the suggestions were ignored by European countries, and the needed measures were not taken for facilitating exports to Russia of safe cut flowers in a quarantined phytosanitary matter," the statement says.
The is confirmed by new appearances of cut flowers from the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, which are infected with organisms quarantined in Russia.
From July 31 until August 3 there were 13 such instances. Of them, in 12 instances western (Californian) flower thrips was identified, and in one instance white rust-chrysanthemum. Of these cases, six of them were cut flowers with origins from the Netherlands.
Rosselkhoznadzor said that 12 phytosanitary certificates for infected flowers were issued by these countries after July 27, 2015.
In the course of only a week after Rosselkhoznadzor appealed to the phytosanitary services of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia, and Lithuania, the service prevented 27 attempts at importing infected cut flowers by these countries. And of these situations, in 17, the cut flowers originated in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands is the center of the global flower trade, and the main transshipment point for flowers from Columbia and Ecuador in South America as well as in India, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Israel and 52% of the world's flower export comes from there. The decision by Rosselkhoznadzor would only affect flowers grown in the Netherlands.