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Sudan to ban imports of vegetables and fruit from Egypt

September 21, 2016 at 6:40 pm

The Sudanese government will temporarily suspend all imports of vegetables, fruit and fish from Egypt until laboratory tests are performed to ensure they are fit for public consumption.

According to the statement released by the Ministry of Commerce, the decision is well within “the acquired rights of [its] national sovereignty and international legislation which allows measures to protect human and animal health in the country.”

Some media reports have speculated that the decision to suspend the import of Egyptian products is due to earlier cases of strawberries from Egypt causing chronic hepatitis and other diseases.

Russia, along with the UAE, has also threatened Egypt with a temporary ban on its exports of fruit and vegetables.

While Egypt had earlier rejected a shipment of Russian wheat after finding traces of ergot fungus.

Ali Isa, head of the Export Council for Agricultural Crops in Egypt, said more than 300 Egyptian companies would be affected by Russia’s decision with farmers facing the most losses.

Cairo has decided to send a “technical mission” to Moscow at the end of this month to discuss the current Russian ban on Egyptian agricultural crops.

Sudan’s latest decision will no doubt further add problems for Egypt’s economy, particularly with the start of the export season in November.

Egypt and Sudan enjoy a volume of trade that currently stands at $900 million, according to information revealed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry last year.