Unsafe fruit and vegetable imports from Armenia to Russia spark concerns

Rosselkhoznadzor (the Russian government agency responsible for overseeing the safety and quality of agricultural products) has expressed concern over the safety of fruit and vegetable products imported from Armenia to Russia, revealing that nearly half of these products were not inspected by the agency's specialists.

This concern is based on a statement from the agency’s press service, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

As of July 23, data from FGIS “Argus-Fito” shows that Russia imported 73.9 thousand tons of fruits and vegetables from Armenia, nearly the same as the 74.8 thousand tons imported during the same period in 2023. The majority of these imports included apricots (28.8 thousand tons), apples (12.4 thousand tons), tomatoes (8.7 thousand tons), and peppers (5.7 thousand tons).

Despite the volume of imports, almost 50 per cent of these products were not subjected to quarantine phytosanitary control upon arrival. In response, Rosselkhoznadzor has issued an official letter to Armenia requesting the suspension of phytosanitary certificates for suppliers who have violated regulations.

Additionally, products accompanied by Armenian phytosanitary certificates were found to contain quarantine pests and exceeded permissible pesticide residue levels in 98 cases, with some exceeding limits by 5 to 8 times.

Rosselkhoznadzor has requested that Armenia halt shipments from 16 suppliers pending an investigation into these violations. Discussions on these issues took place in an online meeting between Rosselkhoznadzor Deputy Head Yulia Shvabauskene and Sonay Tsarukyan, Deputy Head of Armenia's food safety inspection body. The Russian side stressed the need for stringent measures to ensure safe product supply.

Armenian representatives assured that an inspection has begun and promised to provide further results. An agreement was made for a visit by Russian specialists to Armenia at the end of August to conduct a joint inspection of production, processing, storage, and shipping facilities. Additionally, Armenian specialists will be invited to Russian laboratories to observe the pesticide residue control systems in place.