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Russia may ban Ukrainian pork imports soon — watchdog

A total of 12 swine fever cases were registered in Ukraine in July

MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. Ukrainian pork may be banned for importation into Russia already in the coming days over a swine fever outbreak in Ukraine, assistant to Russia’s agricultural watchdog (Rosselkhoznadzor) head Alexey Alekseyenko said on Monday.

"I believe this [ban] may be imposed already in the coming days. Our experts are now intensively working to estimate the danger posed to Russia. The point is that the virus may live in finished products for many months and therefore the danger is real," he said.

The Russian business daily Vedomosti reported on Monday Rosselkhoznadzor might ban Ukrainian pork imports over a swine fever outbreak. According to data of Russia’s National Meat Association, 12 swine fever cases were registered in Ukraine in July alone.

Russian pork producers are also demanding that these supplies from Ukraine should be limited, Vedomosti said.

They sent a letter on July 20 to Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachyov. The document was signed by the heads of the National Union of Pig Producers, the agribusinesses Miratorg, Rusagro, Cherkizovo and others.

"The internal political situation and the continued conflict in east Ukraine do not make it possible to be confident in the ability of the Ukrainian state bodies to fight the swine fever effectively and control the movement of goods," the authors of the letter said.