There is a major problem developing on the fruit market of Uzbekistan. According to EastFruit, mandarins from Pakistan are usually the most affordable fruit on the New Year’s table in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries. After these fruits enter the market in December, prices usually drop by almost half and remain low until the end of the Pakistani season. Other suppliers are basically forced out of the market.
However, at the very beginning of the current season, Uzbek authorities discovered that Pakistani mandarins were being imported to the country with fake phytosanitary certificates. Moreover, a dangerous pest was found in one of the batches. The Agency for Plant Quarantine and Protection of Uzbekistan clarified the situation. According to Nova24.uz, the issuance of import permits has been temporarily suspended.
In a recent batch of mandarins from Pakistan, imported through the “Airitom” customs post, a dangerous pest was found. Samples of the product were examined in the Central Phytosanitary Laboratory, and it was established that the imported fruits contained the red scale insect.
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The quarantine agency contacted their counterparts in Pakistan to clarify the situation, and it turned out that the Pakistani side had not issued the phytosanitary certificates for the export of mandarins to Uzbekistan in December 2024. The certificates were checked using an electronic system and were found to be fake.
Now, certificate verification will be carried out at border points using the automated information system “E-Fitouz”. Imports of products will be allowed after confirming the presence of this phytosanitary certificate in Pakistan’s electronic database.
Market participants were advised to cooperate with reliable foreign companies for the imports of citrus fruits, berries, and other types of fruits and vegetables. The issuance of import and quarantine permits for the exports of mandarins from Pakistan has been temporarily suspended.
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