Since September 23, Russia has effectively blocked the import and transit of Kazakh grain and a number of agricultural products, citing violations of phytosanitary standards. According to the Rosselkhoznadzor, the automatic system began to block the issuance of phytosanitary certificates for Kazakhstani grain, tomatoes, peppers and sunflower seeds. These documents are required to cross the border, and their absence makes export impossible. Vice Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Yermek Kenzhehanuly said that the Ministry of Agriculture had sent a request to the Rosselkhoznadzor with a request to provide evidence of the detected violations in order to confirm the presence of quarantine facilities in products from Kazakhstan. This is necessary to verify the validity of the restrictions imposed. Kazakhstan requested the relevant acts of laboratory research, on the basis of which Russia made a decision. The ban by Russia has caused heated discussions, especially against the background of the fact that Kazakhstan has imposed a complete ban on the import of Russian wheat since August 21 to protect the domestic market. In 2024, Kazakhstan expects a record grain harvest of 27.7 million tons, of which about 9 million tons are planned for export. Experts believe that Russia's ban on Kazakhstani products may be a response to this step.
