Kyrgyz authorities have returned 21 tons of melons exported from Uzbekistan after detecting a violation of phytosanitary requirements, the country’s Ministry of Agriculture reported.
The incident took place at the “Do‘stlik” checkpoint on the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border, where inspectors from the Department of plant protection and quarantine found that the melons were being transported on straw. The shipment, which was destined for the Osh region, did not list the straw in its phytosanitary certificate.
Officials explained that straw poses a high phytosanitary risk, as it can contain seeds of invasive weeds such as ragweed, bittersweet, and dandelion. For this reason, its presence must be declared in official documentation and certified as safe for import.
Due to the violation, the entire shipment was returned to Uzbekistan under the supervision of the Osh regional administration.
This is not the first time such an issue has occurred. In February, Kyrgyzstan also returned 14 tons of Uzbek melons after discovering they were transported on straw without proper certification.
In a July 30 videoconference, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticized Uzbek exporters for sending raw fruits abroad to chase higher profits, saying the practice has damaged Uzbekistan’s reputation and led to mass rejections of produce by foreign trade networks. He warned that such actions threaten the country’s standing in global markets despite the established “Grown in Uzbekistan” brand.
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