The Russian Federation from August 15 bans the import of agricultural products from almost all the districts of the Republic of Moldova. The announcement was made by representatives of Russia’s food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, IPN reports.

“The reason for the ban is the recurrent identification of dangerous quarantine objects in Moldovan products that enter Russia, about which the Moldovan side was repeatedly informed,” the Russian news agency Ria Novosti quoted representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor as saying.

It goes to pests identified in Moldovan products. The ban is designed “to protect the country from such organisms.”

Rosselkhoznadzor put the following districts on the blacklist: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Cahul, Cantemir, Călărași, Căușeni, Cimișlia, Criuleni, Dondușeni, Drochia, Edineț, Fășelti, Florești, Glodeni, Hâncești, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnița, Orhei, Rezina, Râșcani, Sângerei, Soroca, Strășeni, Șoldănești, Ștefan Vodă, Taraclia, Telenești, and Ungheni, and also the municipalities of Chisinau and Bălți and ATU Gagauzia.

The Russian agency said that in 2022, Moldova exported 168,000 tonnes of agricultural products, mostly apples, plus, grapes and cherries. According to Rosselkhoznadzor, 11 types of pests were identified for 93 times in Moldovan products in 2021 and 2022.