Russia bans 140-tonne shipment of Egyptian potatoes over pest infection

Russia’s agricultural quarantine authorities banned a 140-tonne potato shipment from Egypt at the Novorossiysk Sea Port, alleging that they were infected with the potato moth pest, Russia Today reports. However, the head of Egypt’s Agricultural Quarantine Authority Ahmed El Attar told Al Shorouk that Egypt was yet to receive a formal notice of the ban. This is the second Russian ban on Egyptian potatoes in less than two months. Russian authorities flagged two potato shipments from Egypt in March over a brown rot contamination. The Trade and Industry Ministry confirmed at the time that this was not a blanket ban on potato exports to Russia and that it was limited to the two regions where the shipments originated. Romania also destroyed 1,100 kg of Egyptian potatoes last month after tests confirmed they were contaminated with brown rot disease.