The Uzbek quarantine authorities have returned more than 3,500 tons of potatoes to Iran and Pakistan, after they discovered dangerous pests in the shipments; pale and golden potato nematodes. "The agency returned 3,525 tons of potatoes in which nematodes were detected, and another 775 tons were destroyed in Uzbekistan," the Agency for Plant Protection and Quarantine said.
If incidents like this occur again, Uzbekistan might ban imports of potatoes from Iran and Pakistan altogether. The quarantine authorities of those countries have already received notifications of violations of phytosanitary requirements. Consultations are underway to rectify the detected violations and a list of Iranian and Pakistani companies exporting potatoes in accordance with phytosanitary requirements is being compiled.
Source: uzreport.news
