Russia has announced a total restriction on the import of carnations from Ecuador after on Saturday, February 3, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia (Rosselkhoznadzor) indicated that they have detected a growing number of cases of violation of the requirements of the Eurasian Economic Union, after supposedly detecting pests in shipments of flowers of Ecuadorian origin.
With this argument, the Russian Federal Service has asked the authorized bodies of the Netherlands, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania (from where flowers enter Russia) to stop the certification of Ecuadorian carnations as of February 9, a week before Valentine’s Day.
If these countries continue to supply infected flowers to Russia, the Rosselkhoznadzor will be forced to move to the next stage of introducing restrictive measures against other types of flowers.
Supposedly, the pest detected is the Frankliniella occidentalis insect, classified as a closed-ground insect, capable of damaging a total of 244 species of plants from 62 families, including fruits and vegetables, which can cause 100% loss of crops. The announcement regarding the restriction on carnations occurred the day after the export permit of five Ecuadorian banana companies was suspended.
Read more at ecuadortimes.net