The Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance has announced a temporary ban on flower imports from Armenia, effective from June 16. This decision comes after repeated detections of quarantine pests in shipments from Armenia, which are said to pose a significant threat to Russia’s floriculture and agricultural sectors.
The agency has reported multiple instances of high-risk pests being found in floral products imported from Armenia. It highlighted that as the volume of floral exports from Armenia to Russia has increased, so has the frequency of these pest detections. Armenia has exported 52 million flowers to Russia this year, marking a 49.7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Additionally, the agency has expressed concerns over what it describes as an ineffective plant health inspection system in Armenia, which it believes has contributed to the growing phytosanitary risks. In response, an official letter has been sent to Armenian authorities, urging them to implement immediate measures to strengthen export controls.
