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Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan mull lifting restrictions on tomato exports

28 January 2021 16:41 (UTC+04:00)
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan mull lifting restrictions on tomato exports

By Ayya Lmahamad

Baku and Nur-Sultan have discussed lifting of restrictions on tomato exports from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan, the Azerbaijan Food Security Agency’s (AGTA) press service has reported.

During the videoconference held with Committee of the State Inspection of the Agroindustrial Complex of Kazakhstan Agriculture Ministry on January 26, AGTA’s Chairman Goshgar Tahmazli noted that Azerbaijan’s tomato products exported to Kazakhstan and other countries in 2020, did not contain the virus that served as the basis for the restrictions.

Tahmazli underlined that the samples taken from the cargo batches have been re-tested at the Azerbaijan Institute of Food Safety, which operates under the Agency, and in laboratories operating in Ankara, Turkey, have passed international accreditation.

During the meeting, an agreement was reached to send to Kazakhstan the results of monitoring in greenhouses and documents confirming the absence of pest detection. The sides also agreed to establish a joint working group to implement additional control measures for cargo batches of tomato products imported from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan.

Additionally, highly appreciating the current state of cooperation between the two countries in the field of plant health, the Chairman of the Committee of the State Inspection of Agroindustrial Complex of the Kazakhstan Agriculture Ministry Almabek Mars stressed the importance of further development of joint activities in this direction.

The meeting was attended by officials from the Agriculture Ministry, Economy Ministry, and Azerbaijani Ambassador to Kazakhstan Rashad Mammadov.

The competent department of Kazakhstan introduced temporary restrictions on the supply of tomatoes from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan since January 16, 2021, in connection with the detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in Azerbaijani products.

Similar ban on Azerbaijani tomato exports was imposed by Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor on December 10. The agency lifted embargo on export of Azerbaijani tomatoes on December 16, after negotiations with Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency.

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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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