Russia prohibits meat shipments from EU

(MENAFN) Russia’s food safety agency, Rosselkhoznadzor, has banned meat imports from the European Union, citing concerns over foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) following an outbreak in Germany. The ban, effective from January 20, also prohibits the transit of meat products through Russian territory to other countries.

Germany recently reported its first FMD outbreak in nearly four decades, affecting a herd of water buffalo in Brandenburg. As a result, Germany imposed a 3km exclusion zone and a 10km monitoring zone. Other countries, including Australia, the UK, and South Korea, have also imposed bans on German meat imports.

Rosselkhoznadzor expressed concerns over the European Commission’s containment efforts, noting that the outbreak could have originated from uncontrolled livestock movement through Ukraine. The agency pointed out the lack of veterinary services in Ukraine and criticized fraudulent schemes involving agricultural smuggling in Odessa.

The FMD outbreak in Germany has caused significant financial losses, with farming cooperatives estimating around €1 billion in damages.

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