Russia sent back Iran’s export shipment of pepper last week on the grounds that four types of unregistered pesticides were used in their cultivation.
According to Kaykhosrow Chengelvaie, the head of Iran Plant Protection Organization, the neighboring country has banned pepper import from Iran ever since Nov. 29, noting that four types of pesticides, which are unregistered in Russia, are being used during its cultivation.
“The duty of Iran Plant Protection Organization is to inspect pests, diseases and weeds; there was no problem in the consignment regarding these issues. The onus is on the Food and Drug Organization of Iran to examine products in terms of pesticides,” he was quoted as saying by IRIB News.
“Russia had never informed us, in letters or guidelines, that these pesticides had not been registered in their country. Iran should have been notified three months in advance if these pesticides were not allowed to be used in the cultivation of agricultural exports to Russia.
Noting that the ban appears to be temporary and is only related to pepper, the official hoped the problem would be solved soon.
“Crops will be affected by the amount and frequency of pesticide application. Normally, these products will not stand a chance of entering other countries. Therefore, farmers should pay attention to the use of pesticides in the cultivation process,” Kaveh Zargaran, the head of Agriculture Commission of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, told the TCCIM news portal.
“Russia enforces strict rules and regulations on food products that enter their country. The permissible level of pollutants is controlled precisely at the country’s points of entry. In our country, however, agricultural products are being supplied to the market without being tested for pollutants. Therefore, once an agricultural product is returned, we learn that the use of fertilizers or pesticides had exceeded the standards. Of course, products exported to Russia from all over the world face the same issue.”
According to Mehdi Hosseini, the head of the Association of Fertilizer and Pesticide Importers, recently an export consignment to Uzbekistan, including potatoes, was also returned to Iran for having pesticide residues.
Last year, some other agricultural products such as watermelon and raisins were returned from other export destinations.
“Pesticide application is a technology. What is being produced domestically as pesticide does not enjoy an acceptable quality. This comes as Iran Plant Protection Organization does not allow the import of pesticides,” he said.
Noting that farmers in Iran are unknowingly applying hazardous pesticides, Hosseini said, “A large swath of farmers has no knowledge about the withdrawal period of pesticides. The use of high-risk pesticides in the cultivation of agricultural and horticultural products in Iran has become a major problem. As a result, our exported crops are being sent back.”
Dismissing Iran Plant Protection Organization’s claim about the disuse of hazardous pesticides in the production of agricultural products, he said the organization prevents the import of quality, low-risk pesticides, which has given rise to the production of low-quality pesticides and fertilizers in the non-competitive local market.
“As we speak, local production accounts for 75% of pesticides used in the agriculture sector. Of the 25% of imported pesticides, 8% are products for which there is no domestic production capacity and 7% of imported products are low-risk pesticides,” he said.
