Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The State Plant Quarantine Inspectorate under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan (Uzgoskarantin) stated that it had promptly studied the Rosselkhoznadzor message on the identification of a quarantine pest in a batch of dried apricots and held online negotiations with the Russian side.

Employees of the Central Quarantine Laboratory studied photographs of the Russian side and found that the specified object is not a khapra beetle, but belongs to another species of beetles (Trogoderma), which is found in Central Asia and Russia.

Uzgoskarantin reports that after negotiations with the Russian side, it was decided to take phytosanitary measures against the exporter of these products. The Russian side will not impose restrictions on the import of dried apricots to Russia.

The inspectorate noted that the exporter received an order for the supply of apricot from the last crop from Russia. To replenish the export volume, the entrepreneur collected the remains of the previous harvest apricots from various markets.

Uzgoskarantin emphasizes that specialists conduct a second inspection at warehouses and in buildings of enterprises where dried products are stored in order to avoid such cases. The Inspectorate also takes phytosanitary measures to decontaminate them.