Russia continues to ban fresh fruits and vegetables from 16 Armenian entities following negotiations with Armenian authorities, a senior official in Yerevan stated on Wednesday.
The Russian agricultural watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, informed Armenia’s Food Safety Inspection Body (FSIB) about the ban in a letter made public by Armenian media on July 17. The letter cited eight additional instances where imported Armenian tomatoes and apples exceeded the maximum pesticide residue levels permitted in Russia and other Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) member states.
In response, the FSIB has committed to addressing Russian concerns by increasing laboratory testing of agricultural products and investigating the 16 blacklisted Armenian firms and individual entrepreneurs.
Russia has historically been the main export market for Armenian fruits, vegetables, and prepared foodstuffs. The export restrictions from Rosselkhoznadzor come amid rising tensions between Moscow and Yerevan, with Russian officials warning Armenia of economic and security repercussions for its westward drift.
Anush Harutiunian, a senior FSIB official, confirmed that discussions with Rosselkhoznadzor have taken place.
In a July 26 statement, Rosselkhoznadzor provided details of “online negotiations” between its deputy chief, Yulia Shvabauskene, and her Armenian counterpart, Sona Tsarukian. Shvabauskene emphasized the necessity for Armenia to implement comprehensive measures and maintain strict control over certified products.
The statement also mentioned that Russian officials will visit Armenia in late August to conduct a joint inspection of production, processing, storage, and shipment sites for products intended for export to Russia.
Neither party has disclosed the list of affected Armenian entities. Harutiunian mentioned that three of these entities are companies involved in both growing and exporting crops. She noted the difficulty in inspecting the others, as it involves identifying the farms from which the agricultural produce was sourced, a process expected to take time.
The economic impact of the Russian restrictions remains unclear. Government data shows that Armenian exports of fruits and vegetables totaled $182.5 million in 2023, with about $70 million in exports from January to May 2024. Over 90 percent of these exports reportedly went to Russia.
According to Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia has imported nearly 74,000 tons of such products since the beginning of this year, including almost 29,000 tons of apricots, 12,400 tons of apples, and 8,700 tons of tomatoes.
