Rosselkhoznadzor asks Ecuador to suspend supply of bananas from 5 enterprises from Feb 5

MOSCOW. Feb 2 (Interfax) - Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) has asked Ecuador to suspend the supply of bananas from five exporters due to Megaselia scalaris Loew, a dangerous quarantine pest for Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) states, from February 5.

An appeal has been sent to Ecuador's Agriculture and Livestock Minister Franklin Danilo Palacios Marquez asking him to suspend from February 5 certification of banana exporters - Agzulasa Cia, Don Carlos Fruit S.A., Agroaereo Fruit Export S.A., Asociacion de Produccion Agropecuaria de el oro Asoproagroro, Comercializadora de Banano - which have committed the most violations, it said.

"Suspension of certification lies in the terms of reference of the Ecuadorian side, an Ecuadorian exporter cannot send his products without a certificate," Rosselkhoznadzor's press service told Interfax.

"If the Ecuadorian side does not take effective measures and if the said pest continues to be found in bananas, Rosselkhoznadzor will have to go over to the next stage of introduction of restrictions," the statement said.

Megaselia scalaris Loew is a universal plant pest. It has high fertility, including in closed places, in particular, in transport containers. In situations of lengthy warehouse storage, it infects many food products, in particular, flour, soy, potatoes, melons, cheese, dried fish, mushrooms, ripe vegetables and fruit. The pest transmits cholera.