Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Statement of Agrarian Policy Ministry of Ukraine concerning export of Ukrainian grain to Canada
Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended exports of Ukrainian grain to Canada because of detection of fungi Tilletia controversa and Urocistis agropyri in four shipments of Ukrainian grain. This caused cancellation of previously issued permits for imports of grain from Ukraine.
On the instructions of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Ivan Kyrylenko an official investigation has been performed concerning the issue.
The findings of the investigation are as follows:
1. Between Ukraine and Canada there is no agreement on cooperation in quarantine and plant protection, which would clearly define the set of requirements to phyto-sanitary services of the countries as regards control of the grain shipments for detection of pests and diseases at grain deliveries between the countries.
2. Press-release of Embassy of Canada in Ukraine reads as follows: "Ukrainian services have signed phyto-sanitary export certificates with specific affirmation of absence of prohibited pests. The shipment, in which Canadian controlling authorities have found Urocistis agropyri, was certified by Ukrainian phyto-sanitary service as free from Urocistis agropyri; the shipment in which there has been detected Tilletia controversa was certified as free from this agent."
However, produced by Canadian authorities phyto-sanitary certificates have had substantial inadequacies with those, distributed in Ukraine. At the moment Ukrainian law-enforcement authorities are closely studying the issue. But it can be stated already now that there are discrepancies in the mentioned certificates between numbers, names and signatures of phyto-sanitary service inspectors, quantities of the product shipped. And what is more - there are inadequacies in results of the tests.
Following the official investigation, the decisions will be made in accordance with the effective legislation. It also cannot be excluded that criminal proceedings will be instituted against the persons, guilty in the above-mentioned unlawful acts.