Russia Blocks Uzbek Grape Shipment Over Quarantine Weed
Russian authorities have blocked the release of a 20.1-tonne shipment of grapes from Uzbekistan after detecting a quarantine weed during phytosanitary inspection.
A 20.1-tonne consignment of grapes from Uzbekistan has been denied entry into Russia after agricultural inspectors in the Samara Region discovered a quarantine pest.
The regional branch of Rosselkhoznadzor reported that the shipment underwent a phytosanitary inspection at a temporary storage facility in Samara, where officials identified dodder (Cuscuta spp.), a prohibited weed, within the cargo.
The finding of the quarantine organism was subsequently verified through herbological analysis conducted by experts at the Samara branch of the Federal Centre for Animal Health (VNIIZH).
Rosselkhoznadzor classifies dodder (Cuscuta spp.) as a quarantine weed, noting its ability to entwine and kill cultivated plants. The agency highlighted that just one dodder seed can infest an area of 5-6 square meters.
As a result of the inspection, Rosselkhoznadzor has forbidden the distribution of the affected grape shipment. The owner of the cargo has been directed to either return or destroy the shipment under the supervision of agency specialists.