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Russia may ban fruit and vegetable imports from Poland

MOSCOW, April 23. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s veterinary and phytosanitary control authority (Rosselkoznadzor) may ban imports of fruits, vegetables and berries from Poland over excessive pesticide residue and nitrate contents, Rosselkhoznadzor’s press service said on Tuesday.

Ahead of a new season of rathe-ripes supplies from Poland, Risselkhoznadzor head Sergei Dabkvert asked Poland’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Marek Sawicki to take measures to improve the situation.

“If no efficient measures are taken, Rosselkhoznadzor will have to look at imposing a temporary ban on imports of products of high phytosanitary risks from Poland, including via third countries, to protect Russia’s territories from phytosanitary threats,” the press service stressed.

Earlier, Rosselkhozhadzor warned about a possible ban on imports of vegetables and fruits from Poland over the risk of receiving dangerous and re-export plants from that country in the autumn of 2013.

Poland is a major exporter of fruits (primarily apples) to Russia. According to Poland’s official statistics, the country’s overall fruit and vegetable exports to Russia exceeds one billion euro a year.