Russia has banned imports of pork from Belarus

Imports of pigs and pork from Belarus have been banned as of today.

The information is published on the Russian supervisory body Rosselkhoznadzor’s web-site.

The institution’s deputy head Aleksey Saurin addressed Belarus’ chief state veterinary inspector Jury Pivavarchyk with a letter, in which it is, in particularly, stated that, according to the article 8 of the Customs Union agreement on veterinary and sanitary measures as of 11 December 2009, temporary restrictions have been introduced from 30 August onwards due to Belarus’ problems with the African pig plague. The restrictions concern pigs, their genetic material, pork, which did not undergo thermal treatment below 72 degrees in the product’s depth for no less than 30 minutes, which are the measures guaranteeing that the virus is destroyed.

Apart from that pig forage imports have been limited that did not undergo heat treatment when being produced.

“The limitations will be active either until the disease’s eradication in the territory of Belarus, or until rules for defining zoological and sanitary status (compartmentalization) of Belarusian piggeries are adopted, or until the Eurasian Economic Commission adopts a standard legal act of direct action, which would regulate the single procedure for compartmentalization for Customs Union member states”, - Rosselkhoznadzor’s message says.

We would remind that previously Russia found violations with Belarusian diary imports.