Russia to ship trial batch of grain to Vietnam in Sept-Oct in hopes of resuming active exports

MOSCOW. Aug 19 (Interfax) - Russia will ship a trial batch of grain to Vietnam in September-October of this year that will consist of grain grown in regions free of objects subject to quarantine in Vietnam such as creeping thistle, Russian plant and animal health watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor reported after talks with officials from Vietnam's Agriculture Ministry.

This is necessary in order to resume active exports of Russian grain to the Vietnamese market. Grain exports to Vietnam have been hindered by the discovery of creeping thistle seeds in Russian wheat, Rosselkhoznadzor said. As a result, Russia exported just 188,000 tonnes of wheat to Vietnam in 2021, compared to 2.6 million tonnes in 2018 and 1.7 million tonnes in 2017.

"Rosselkhoznadzor worked carefully with our Vietnamese colleagues to minimize the risks of creeping thistle getting into grain intended for export to Vietnam. The Vietnamese side has now accredited 18 Russian enterprises that fully comply with Vietnam's standards for ensuring grain quality and safety," the watchdog said. The list of these enterprises will be presented to Rosselkhoznadzor soon.

Rosselkhoznadzor also said it is willing to welcome Vietnamese inspectors to monitor the phytosanitary condition of export shipments directly in the process of loading.

In the course of negotiations, Russian officials also expressed interest in exporting processed grain products, such as flower and cereals to the Vietnamese market. This issue will be explored at the expert level.