Pakistan has finally invited Russian quarantine departments to discuss the quality issue of horticulture products being exported to Moscow besides inspecting quarantine facilities in the country. Through a recently sent letter to Russian Federation, the Ministry of Commerce/Trade Development Authority of Pakistan has invited the department concerned in Moscow next month to resolve the issue.
The quarantine issue about importing fruit and vegetable from Pakistan has been the main source of concerns for foreign country for the last three years, Business Recorder learnt. According to sources the departments concerned of the two countries would sit together to find out a mutually agreed procedure to qualify and approve the importing fruit/vegetable from Pakistan. Following Pakistani request Russian department may visit Islamabad in September 2012.
Rusagri Surveillance Department of Russia, through a letter sent in June 2012, had warned its counter parts and the authorities concerned in Pakistan that Islamabad would be facing a ban over exports of fruit and vegetable if the quarantine issues being highlighted since 2008 were not met shortly. The letter sent to director Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of National Security of Food & Research, Pakistan, the Federal Service for Veterinary & Phytosanitary Surveillance, Russia has shown deep concern over the Phytosanitary conditions of under-quarantine’s goods supplying to Moscow from Pakistan.
Taking notice of the quality of Pakistani potato being imported to the Russian government had also detained many containers of the highly consumed vegetable item at its ports. Referring to few cases about unqualified potato being shipped to Russia, the Russian side had also requested Pakistan to carry out the official investigation of the cases and take urgent steps which assure the fulfilment of International & Russian Phytosanitary requirements of under quarantine goods being dispatch to Russia from Pakistan.
According to them unsatisfactory Phytosanitary atmosphere in the territory of Pakistan, and supply of unhygienic products to Russia would bring destabilisation of Phytosanitary atmosphere which ultimately reflect on food product’s security of Russian Federation.
“Rusagri Surveillance Department has full right to apply the limitations steps for bringing the quarantine goods in the territory of Russian Federation like mandarin, rice, mango and potatoes,” it added.
Moscow was also concerned over the excessive use of pesticides which not only damage the quality of crop but also affect its nutritional value thus having damaging impact on our potato export. The Russian government had also made it clear that Moscow would only allow imported Potatoes in the territory of Russia only after conclusion of Laboratory Test Report of Phytosanitary condition of potatoes.
