Russia has introduced restrictions on imports of seeds and planting material from Moldova when they are accompanied by documents issued by Moldova’s Central Phytosanitary Laboratory. The decision was announced by Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor).
According to the Russian authority, the certification authority of Moldova’s Central Phytosanitary Laboratory to conduct tests on agricultural plant seeds expired on September 14, 2026.
Rosselkhoznadzor said the Moldovan laboratory was the only institution in Moldova whose competence had been confirmed by Russian authorities following an audit conducted in 2023.
The Russian authority said that, three years after the previous audit, foreign laboratories must undergo a new inspection. In the case of Moldova’s laboratory, no such audit has been conducted so far because, according to Rosselkhoznadzor, no request for one was submitted.
As a result, seeds and planting material can no longer be imported into Russia with documents issued by Moldova’s Central Phytosanitary Laboratory until a new audit is conducted and the institution’s competence is confirmed.
The same measure has been applied to laboratories in Mexico and the Czech Republic whose certification periods also expired in September.
Rosselkhoznadzor said it had informed the competent authorities in all three countries about the situation.
However, imports have not been banned entirely. Seeds and planting material from Moldova can still be exported to Russia if the required documents are issued by laboratories in other countries whose competence has been inspected and confirmed through an audit by Russian authorities.