MINSK, 16 August (BelTA) – The Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry hopes restrictions on the delivery of Belarusian dairy products to the Russian market will be lifted soon, Deputy Agricutlure and Food Minister, Director of the Veterinary and Food Control Department Alexander Subbotin told BelTA.
“Special working groups have been set up to address the current issues. They comprised representatives of the Agriculture and Food Ministry, Healthcare Ministry, State Committee for Standardization, the accreditation center, and also representatives of the Belarusian dairies which supplies were restricted. We have been closely cooperating with the Russian counterparts in order to address all the problem points as soon as possible,” said Alexander Subbotin.
According to the deputy minister, a group of specialists from the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia (Rosselkhoznadzor) will come to Minsk on 16 August to discuss the matters related to electronic certification and the use of the advance notification system. “The talks continue. We are interested in rectifying the situation as fast as possible,” he added.
On 13 August the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia introduced temporary restrictions on the supply of dairy products of Volkovysk-based Bellakt, Rogachev Milk Canning Plant, and Kalinkovichi Dairy to the Russian market. According to the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry, Rosselkhoznadzor has questions to the form of the conformity declaration on milk powder, and not to the product quality.
According to the press service of the Rosselkhoznadzor departments in Bryansk and Smolensk Oblasts, on 13-14 August the import of more than 180 tonnes of Belarusian dry dairy products was banned to Russia. Among the products restricted for the import onto the Russian market was skimmed milk powder of Lepel Milk Canning Plant, the Kletsk subsidiary of Slutsk Creamery, Rogachev Milk Canning Plant and OAO Milkavita. “The veterinary control revealed that the Customs Union declarations of conformity were issued on the basis of the protocols of the lab testing on a batch of products made 1.5-3 years prior to the registration of declarations. This shows that the producer did not conduct any laboratory tests to ensure compliance with the technical regulations,” the press service explained.
Apart from that, more than 15 tonnes of cheese of Turov Dairy were banned from the entry to the Russian market. According to the Russian agency, the products were traveling with invalid veterinary certificate.
