Russia and Ecuador agree on memorandum regarding phytosanitary control at checkpoints

MOSCOW. Feb 22 (Interfax) - Russia's Rosselkhoznadzor and Ecuador's Agriculture Quality Assurance Agency have agreed on the text of a memorandum of understanding on the specifics of implementing quarantine phytosanitary control (supervision) at checkpoints, the Russian service said.

"The parties successfully agreed on the document and worked out the details of its further signing," Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement following video negotiations with its Ecuadorian colleagues.

In addition, the two agencies agreed to sign a protocol on the integration of their plant quarantine information systems, which will aid in implementing the provisions of the memorandum.

Earlier, Rosselkhoznadzor and the Agency held negotiations on ensuring the phytosanitary safety of certified bananas supplied from Ecuador.

As reported, Rosselkhoznadzor appealed to the Ecuadorian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock with a request to suspend the certification of bananas from five Ecuadorian exporting enterprises starting February 5 due to the systematic detection in them of a quarantine object considered dangerous for Russia and the EAEU countries, the polyphagous humpback fly. On February 16, at a meeting between the head of Rosselkhoznadzor Sergei Dankvert and the Ambassador of Ecuador to Russia Juan Fernando Holguin Flores, initiated by the Ecuadorian side, Rosselkhoznadzor announced the possible resumption of certification of bananas from the five exporters under Agency guarantees.

Ecuador has thus increased the number of inspections of bananas being sent to Russia by these five exporters, and has built a special quarantine zone for loading the bananas from plantations. In addition, the Ecuadorian agency is requiring fruit exporters to carry out integrated pest management, staff training, additional container cleaning, and labeling for traceability purposes. The Ecuadorian side invited representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor to visit the country to visually verify the effectiveness of the measures being taken in relation to banana shipments.

Data from Ecuador cited in the Rosselkhoznadzor report show that Russia accounts for 21% of its banana exports.