adminBratislava. – The processing and use of Ukrainian grain will be banned in Slovakia due to its harmful pesticide content, announced Samuel Vlcan, head of the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture, at a press conference in Bratislava on Friday.
The Slovakian measure was preceded by the fact that the Slovak Animal Health and Food Safety Authority (SVPS) found a plant protection product in the sample that was harmful to health and prohibited in the European Union during an inspection of 1 500 tonnes of wheat from the Ukraine at the Kolárovo mill in Gúta, wrote the Slovak public service TASR news agency.
The pesticide content of the tested Ukrainian wheat exceeded the permitted level in Slovakia by 1000 percent,. According to the authorities, the confiscated grain was not only unsuitable for human consumption, but for animals as well. Knowing the results of the investigation, the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a decree, according to which the processing of Ukrainian grain and flour already imported into the country, as well as its inclusion in the food production and feeding processes, is strictly prohibited.
The Slovak ministry announced that all EU member states will be informed of its results, and all grain and flour of Ukrainian origin already in storage in the country will be subjected to a similar investigation. In connection with the provision prohibiting the use of Ukrainian grain, the ministry does not recommend the import of any Ukrainian grain or products made from it.
The agriculture ministers of the Central European member states suffering from Ukrainian imports discussed the need to limit the duty-free status of Ukrainian agricultural products. There is complete agreement that the joint action towards the European Commission must be continued, as the problem of these countries cannot be dealt with without EU-level tools, said Minister of Agriculture István Nagy. – Civilek.info
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