Now the infected corn is only used in Russia for the production of popcorn / Photo from UNIAN
Russia's agricultural watchdog said on Monday Moscow may ban corn shipments from the United States over the systematic Diplodia stalk rot infection, according to Russian news agency TASS.
The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) sent a request to the U.S. side asking it "to exclude supplies to Russia's territory of the infected American corn," TASS wrote.
This comes for phytosanitary reasons and "especially in conditions of import replacement of quarantined goods," the Russian watchdog said in a statement.
"In case the supplies of infected goods continue, Rosselkhoznadzor has the right to consider the issue of introducing temporary restrictions on the supplies of corn from America," the statement says.
The potential damage from the supplies of quarantined goods to Russia reaches some 10 or 15 billion rubles ($128 million-$192 million), the analysis of phytosanitary risks shows, according to the watchdog. Now the infected corn is only used in Russia for the production of popcorn, it says.
Last time, Rosselkhoznadzor voiced complaints on January 22 after inspectors found that a 76-tonne batch of corn from the U.S. that arrived in St. Petersburg had been infected by a dangerous disease, Diplodia stalk rot.