Russian ban on Egyptian produce revised
Published on 22/02/2017
The Russian ban on Egyptian produce, imposed on 22 September 2016, has been revised. Rather than a blanket ban on all fruit and vegetable products, only potatoes are banned from Russian export.
Russia’s decision to alter the ban comes following negotiations with Egyptian representatives in Moscow last week. The ban was initially implemented due to changes in Egyptian import regulations regarding wheat.
Sergei Dankvert, head of Russian food health and safety body Rosselkhoznadzor, was cited by Russian news sources as saying the ban had been revised on Monday 26 September 2016.
Egypt is the world’s largest importer of wheat with Russia as a major supplier of the cereal crop. The nation had put in place new regulations limiting ergot levels in wheat imports – a move which Russia claimed would hurt its own export levels.
Egyptian authorities have since reverted back to original rules, allowing wheat imports to contain up to 0.05% of ergot. Ergot is a common fungus and is considered harmless in such amounts.
While Russia has overturned this ban on Egyptian produce, other nations may not be quite so lucky. Alexander Tkachev expressed wishes to extend Russia’s embargo on Western food imports for a further five years to reporters from Russian state television channel Rossiya 24 on Monday 26 September.
Sources: abcnews.go.com, firstpost.com, af.reuters.com