Azatutyun — Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Rosselkhoznadzor, has banned the import and sale of Armenian dairy products on the Russian market, deeming them unsafe.
From July 14 to July 21, Russian specialists conducted inspections at dairy processing enterprises in Armenia that had previously received export permits based on guarantees from the local veterinary service. During the inspections, the Russian side claims that similar violations were again recorded as in previous inspection visits in 2023-2024.
The violations primarily concern the product traceability system, the preparation of veterinary documents, raw material examinations, risk management, and production control programs. Moreover, Rosselkhoznadzor stated that milk from diseased animals was used for dairy products exported to Russia. Additionally, it was found that raw materials imported from third countries were used in the production of high-fat products, despite previous assurances that they were Armenian or from EAEU countries.
The Russian side notes that Armenia has yet to establish a system to verify the origin and safety of milk. Particularly problematic is the control over milk procured from private individuals, as they cannot guarantee the safety of the product. Russia believes that Armenia does not exercise sufficient oversight over agricultural producers, linking this to the consequences of the 2019 public administration reforms.
It is worth recalling that since late April of this year, Russia launched a major wave of economic restrictions against Armenia, which gradually expanded in May and June. The import of Armenian mineral water, alcohol, flowers, fish products, as well as a number of fruits, vegetables, and berries, was banned or restricted.
