The Russian state agricultural safety watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, said on Wednesday that it would initiate negotiations with the competent authority in Morocco in connection with the pepino mosaic virus found in tomatoes imported from the country
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd December, 2020) The Russian state agricultural safety watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, said on Wednesday that it would initiate negotiations with the competent authority in Morocco in connection with the pepino mosaic virus found in tomatoes imported from the country.
"The Rosselkhoznadzor is concerned about the systematic detection of pepino mosaic virus, in respect of which a temporary quarantine phytosanitary measure has been introduced, in tomatoes imports from Morocco. It may indicate a serious deterioration of the phytosanitary situation in the kingdom," the agency said in a press release.
The watchdog proposed to National food Safety Authority of the Kingdom of Morocco to hold negotiations as soon as possible and in any convenient format in order to discuss the situation and the issue of further imports of tomatoes to Russia.
In October, Russia banned the import of tomatoes from Morocco with phyto-certificates from the Netherlands, Belgium and France due to the detection of the pepino mosaic virus. The virus is able to spread widely and cause significant economic damage to the production of tomatoes.
Morocco, along with Turkey, is one of the largest suppliers of tomatoes to Russia.
