High competition of Ukrainian grains can be achieved through better phytosanitary condition

Source

APK-Inform

2443

 

 Countries-importers have a right to protect themselves from quarantine natures. Today there are many international organizations regulating requirements during transportation of different products including grain. Andrey Chelombitko, deputy head of phytosanitary security and seed farming control department, head of plant quarantine control of Food Safety and Consumer Protection State Service of Ukraine, told about the features of Ukrainian grain exports and required phytosanitary standards to increase shipments.

 

- Countries-importers intensify requirements to phytosanitary condition of imported agricultural products. Ukraine as a large exporter has to meet international standards of phytosanitary control. What are the main institutions regulating these standards?

Ukraine entered European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) in 1994, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2003, International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) in 2006, World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2008. Moreover, there are number of interdepartmental intergovernmental agreements regulating peculiarities of plant export phytosanitary control.

According to IPPC provisions each country has a sovereign right to protect its territory from quarantine natures and determine its own particular requirements to each controlled plant.

 

- Which current agricultural import/export requirement can be an obstacle for international trade development?

Some Asian, American countries present certain requirements as to plant imports that can complicate trade. For example, some organisms do not consider as quarantine in Ukraine while they are banned in the countries-importers. Thus, it can be difficult to meet requirements as to anticrop agents (phytopathology) that are not quarantine in Ukraine.

 

- Ukraine is trying to intensify trade with China. Which products can be approved for export to China in the nearest future?

Legalization of trade with Asia has its own features. Signing of international interdepartmental agreements can take years. Ukraine has such agreements with China as to corn, barley and soybean supply. Moreover, Ukraine sent to China pest risk analysis of wheat, sorghum, rapeseed, soybean meal, beet pulp, some horticultural products. As we know from insiders there positive moves regarding beet pulp.

 

- Are there any other countries with whom the Food Safety and Consumer Protection State Service is discussing international trade agreements?

Today Ukraine and Cube are negotiating for corn export agreement. Moreover, Food Safety and Consumer Protection State Service received through embassy of Ukraine in China project of minutes for export of Ukrainian sunflower meal, we are working on it for the second year.

 

- This year there were many discussions regarding phytosanitary condition of fields with crops exported to China and its non-compliance with Chinese requirements. What are the measures to prevent contamination?

According to minutes of phytosanitary requirements regarding export of Ukrainian barley, corn and soybean to China, fields with these crops are examined regularly, as they should meet Chinese standards. There were 425 thsd ha under corn and 95 thsd ha under barley examined in 2015.

They found quarantine organisms for both Ukraine and China at several fields. Crops from these fields are banned for export.

While forming grain export lot you need to know its phytosanitary condition before loading. It is important to know phytosanitary condition of fields where crops for export are grown. Ukrainian legislation affords to determine phytosanitary condition of agricultural products before loading. However, quarantine organisms are revealed during loading process that leads to denial of phytosanitary certificate and traders are forced to change destination country. 2.4% of requests for phytosanitary certificate were denied in 2015 and 1.5% in 2016.

 

- What actions does the country-importer take regarding seller when it finds violation of phytosanitary standards? And what does your organization do in such case?

When violation of phytosanitary standards is revealed, national plant protection organization of the country-importer issues notification according to international standards of phytosanitary measures No 13. During 2013-2016 number of notifications obtained is disappointing.

This year saw the first case of notification regarding exposure of wheat streak mosaic in corn cargo. As a result, China called on Ukraine to exclude company-exporter from register list. And the company was excluded.

Moreover, Indonesia issued record number of notifications regarding exposure of Tilletia tritici and Tilletia carica (stinking smut and brand). Indonesia offered to carry heat treatment under 80°С however, it is difficult and affect grain quality, can influence on gluten content. Thus, Ukraine sent the delegation to Indonesia, which persuaded the country do not temporary ban import of Ukrainian wheat granting that Ukraine will meet phytosanitary requirements of Indonesia.

 

- How Ukraine can minimize risks of notification obtaining?

Generally, Ukraine has all necessary measures to regulate dialogue between business and government regarding grain trade. There are authorization document delivery within 24 hours since transport vehicles are loaded, voluntary obtaining of quarantine certificates for transportation of grain and its products within the country, moratorium on examination. At the same time, high competitiveness of Ukrainian grain can be reached only through better phytosanitary condition: usage of high-quality seeds, measures to localize and liquidate quarantine organisms, high-quality storage, necessary treatments, phytosanitary control of grain storage and transportation.

 

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