NewsRussian authorities have removed the mandatory requirement to fumigate Sri Lankan tea containers prior to exportation with effect from October 1, the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) said. Since 2017, Sri Lanka had fumigated its containers of tea after the alleged detection of a 'Kapra beetle' in one of its containers exported to Russia - an exercise which the SLTB described as "costly and time consuming". Accordingly, Plantations Industry Minister Navin Dissanayake and a few other SLTB experts had held talks with Russian agriculture ministry officials to lift this requirement. It had been observed that no 'Kapra beetle' had been discovered in Sri Lanka's tea consignments exported to Russia between 2018 and 2019. The Federal Services for Veterinary and Pyhtosanitary Surveillance of Russia’s Agriculture Ministry had then agreed to issue a circular declaring that the requirement to fumigate containers would be removed.

Source: Sunday Times October 03, 2019 04:41 UTC