Rosselkhoznadzor explains restrictions on imports of Armenian agricultural products

The restrictions on supplies of Armenian agricultural products are not related to politics but to producers’ lack of effective quality control, Sergey Dankvert, head of Rosselkhoznadzor, said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Rosselkhoznadzor had earlier announced that, starting June 12, it was restricting imports of all quarantine-controlled products from Armenia, as well as transit through Russia to EAEU member states.

Dankvert said the agency has years of experience working with Armenian enterprises, along with lab test results and data on supplies and violations found.

He noted that Armenia’s problem lies primarily in how production and oversight are organized. A large number of small farmers grow produce and supply it for export, but there is essentially no internal control or cooperation system between production and shipment. According to him, regulatory bodies are physically unable to inspect such a volume of product. Dankvert stressed that when cooperation, production controls, and accountability among producer associations exist, the system works effectively, and that this is precisely what’s lacking today, meaning the reasons for the restrictions lie in product quality and safety, not politics.