Rosselkhoznadzor has chosen to halt the imports of animal feed originating from Hill’s Italian operations starting February 6, citing the ongoing issue of low-quality products entering the market. The agency’s move was reported by TASS, highlighting the seriousness of the quality concerns and the protective stance taken to safeguard domestic livestock nutrition and overall agricultural health. The suspension reflects a broader pattern of vigilance by Russian regulatory bodies when feed safety and product integrity are questioned, and it indicates a temporary but decisive interruption in cross-border supply chains until compliance and quality standards are ensured by the supplier.
In official statements, Rosselkhoznadzor reiterated that the prohibition affects the Italian subsidiary of Hill’s and stressed that the precautionary measure was driven by the presence of substandard products in the supply chain. The agency underscored that imports will remain blocked until there is clear evidence of reform and adherence to the established feed quality norms. This action is part of Russia’s ongoing framework of monitoring imported agricultural inputs and taking swift action when safety or regulatory breaches are detected. The aim is to protect animal health, consumer safety, and the integrity of the country’s agricultural sector from inferior or potentially hazardous inputs.
Moving further back, Rosselkhoznadzor’s regulatory activity in mid-2022 involved a broader restriction on the import of seed materials from several European and North American nurseries. The decision followed detections of disease indicators in seeds from French, German, Dutch, and Canadian suppliers. The ban extended to maize seeds distributed through Limagrain Europe in France, where leaf spot symptoms were observed on the crop, signaling lodging concerns that could affect yield and plant vitality. Similarly, restrictions were imposed on tomato seeds sourced from Axia Vegetable Seeds’ Dutch operation after the Pepino mosaic virus was identified, raising alarms about disease transmission through imported seeds. The measures also impacted soybean seeds supplied by a Canadian partner, Semences Prograin Inc., where Cercospora purpurea pathogens were detected. Collectively, these actions reflect a precautionary approach to prevent the introduction of plant pathogens through imported seeds and to maintain standing phytosanitary protections within the Russian market.
At the start of 2022, Rosselkhoznadzor announced further suspensions affecting livestock and meat imports from Kazakhstan due to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease virus. The decision underscores the authority’s ongoing commitment to defending domestic animal health and the agricultural value chain by restricting movement of potentially contaminated animal products from regions with active disease concerns. The cumulative effect of these measures illustrates a consistent policy posture: prioritize biosafety and market stability by enforcing rigorous screening, promptly suspending shipments when risk indicators appear, and only resuming trade once clear, verifiable compliance with health and safety standards is demonstrated. In practice, exporters and importers are reminded of the importance of robust sanitary protocols, comprehensive testing regimes, and transparent documentation to facilitate timely reentry into the market once authorities are satisfied with risk mitigation.