MOSCOW, July 02. /ITAR-TASS/. Belarusian government will ban imports of potatoes from Ukraine as of July 10, 2014, the Russian agricultural watchdog agency, Rosselkhoznadzor said in a report Wednesday quoting an official letter from the Belarusian Ministry of Agriculture and Foodstuffs.

“Leonid Zayats, the Minister of Agriculture and Foodstuffs of the Republic of Belarus has officially informed Rosselkhoznadzor on joining the measures to restrict the imports of food-grade potatoes from Ukraine,” the report said.

Rosselkhoznadzor imposed a ban on imports of Ukrainian potatoes as of June 16, 2014, since bacteriological tests had regularly exposed the presence of a quarantinable entity in it - the golden nematode of potato.

The latter is also known as the golden eelworm. It makes itself manifest in the formation of cysts on the roots of potatoes and typically has a mixed yellow-brownish coloring. Upon reaching a developed form, is affects the potato roots systems, entails water stress and brings about nutrient deficiencies.

The efforts to prevent and eradicate the golden nematode quite frequently run into are the infestation period that may take years to develop and the ability to remain unnoticed for up to five years.

Its eradication is usually even more protracted and may occupy at to thirty years.