The number of cases of illegal trade in pesticides identified by inspectors of the National Food Safety Agency is on the rise given that the inspectors could not monitor the market of phytosanitary products owing to the state moratorium on state inspections that expired on November 1. Head of the Phytosanitary Product and Fertilizer Control Division Mihail Negrescu told a news conference that 75% of the products withdrawn from the market had the instructions in the Ukrainian language. This shows that the goods were smuggled as the legally imported merchandize has this information translated into Romanian, IPN reports.
Mihail Negrescu said the contraband pesticides cost less and have bright packaging and do not have laser inscriptions to show production date and consignment number.
Under a bill drafted by the Agency, which was passed by Parliament in the first reading, from 2017 the confiscated products will be placed in special storehouses and the smugglers, besides fine, will pay rent until the pesticides are exported from Moldova or are destroyed. Also from 2017, storehouse owners will have to possess a license for the purchase and use of fumigants for area and seed processing works.
In Moldova, there are 630 storehouses for keeping phytosanitary products. A number of 22 companies import pesticides, while about 30 companies import fertilizers.
