No ban by Iraq or Oman on Egyptian exports: Naglaa Balabel

CAIRO - 30 July 2017: Naglaa Balabel, the head of the Central Administration for Agricultural Quarantine, said on Sunday, that there is no ban by Oman and Iraq on exports of Egyptian vegetables or fruits, there are only tighter procedures being taken.
The official statement came as a clarification of recent procedures taken by both countries concerning Egypt’s fruits and vegetables exports.

On Sunday, a number of media reports circulated that Iraq had banned Egyptian fruit and vegetable exports, without explaining that tightened procedures only were taken in order to ensure freedom from residues of pesticides and heavy metals in accordance to international standards.

Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries sent a letter to the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture clarifying that there is no ban on Egyptian vegetable and fruit exports, explaining the ban could only be imposed if certain certificates are not attached with products.

“The entrance of the Egyptian fruits and vegetables requires a certificate verified from the Egyptian Agricultural quarantine and another certificate drafted by the government authorities analyzing the rate of the remained pesticide residues,” the letter added.
In response to the letter of the Omani ministry, Balabel said that there is no ban imposed by Oman and Iraq, adding that any country has the right to tighten its control measures on the products exported to it.

Balabel called upon countries to provide an accompanying certificate indicating their compliance with the permitted limits of pesticide residues in accordance with international standards, attaching a certificate of analysis with the exported consignments, noting that Egypt follows these procedures when exporting any product to any country worldwide.

The Egyptian Agriculture Quarantine released a statement including mechanisms regulating the export of vegetables and fruit to the Republic of Iraq, in accordance to rules adopted by Egypt.

It further alerted agricultural quarantine inspectors to be committed to analyzing samples of pesticides remaining on the vegetables and fruits exported to Iraq to ensure their compliance with the permitted limits of pesticide residues in accordance with international standards and also ensure the attachment of the relevant certificates.

Previously, Saudi Arabia has banned Egyptian fruits and vegetables for two months after a higher rate of pesticide residues was found on strawberry shipments.