Tbilisi (GBC) – At the invitation of Georgia’s National Food Agency, a delegation from Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance ("Rosselkhoznadzor") visited Georgia. According to the agency, the Russian specialists conducted an audit of Georgian testing laboratories and examined the phytosanitary certification system for pome and stone fruits intended for export to Russia.
According to Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian specialists reviewed the operations of Georgia’s State Laboratory of Agriculture, which tests plant-based products destined for the Russian market for pesticide and agrochemical residues. They evaluated the laboratory’s technical equipment, staff qualifications, research methodologies, and the compliance of the facilities with established requirements.
Georgian counterparts also briefed the delegation on the procedures for determining the quarantine phytosanitary status of samples and the process for issuing certificates. As part of the visit, the Russian delegation also traveled to the Gori Municipality, where they inspected five facilities dedicated to the cultivation and storage of pome and stone fruits, as well as the preparation of export consignments.
Based on the audit findings, Rosselkhoznadzor will issue a formal document to the laboratory, confirming its competence and the reliability of its research results. According to the agency, the Georgian side indicated that a national system for plant quarantine is currently under development. Integrating the digital platforms of the two countries will improve information exchange, increase the bilateral supply of products subject to quarantine control, and strengthen safety oversight.
