Russia to ban imports of crop products from 31 districts of Moldova as of Aug 15

MOSCOW. Aug 10 (Interfax) - Russia's plant and animal health watchdog is banning imports of crop farming products from 31 districts of Moldova, as well as the autonomous region of Gagauzia and the municipalities of Chisinau and Balti, the advisor to the head of Rosselkhoznadzor, Yulia Melano told reporters.

She said Rosselkhoznadzor was forced to impose the restrictions because it repeatedly found dangerous objects subject to quarantine in Moldovan products imported into Russia.

"The Moldovan side was repeatedly informed of this earlier, but a proper response did not follow. The measures taken by the Moldovan side to comply with international and Russian phytosanitary requirements when shipping products subject to quarantine to the Russian Federation are insufficient," Melano said.

The imposed restrictions are intended to protect Russia from objects subject to quarantine getting into the country and spreading, she said.

She recalled that on March 5, 2022 Rosselkhoznadzor lifted all restrictions on imports of products subject to quarantine from Moldova not including restrictions by producer. Earlier, Moldova's territory was regionalized for imports, with shipments allowed only from clean regions in terms of quarantine and certified enterprises. Rosselkhoznadzor will be forced to return to this format on August 15, Melano said.

As of August 15, imports will be prohibited from the following districts: Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soroca, Straseni, Soldanesti, Stefan Voda, Taraclia, Telenesti and Ungheni.

Russia has imported 168,000 tonnes of crop products from Moldova this year, primarily apples, plums, grapes and cherries, Rosselkhoznadzor data showed.

In July alone, five types of objects subject to quarantine in the Eurasian Economic Union were found in shipments, including oriental fruit moth, oriental fruit fly, Mediterranean fruit fly, ragweed and the fungus Monilinia fructicola. In 2021 and so far this year, 11 types of objects subject to quarantine were found 93 times in plant products imported from Moldova.