Melons made up a large proportion of a recently intercepted shipment of fruit that was sent back across the border into Kazakhstan. 

Russia's food watchdog has intercepted 13 vehicles carrying 170 metric tons (MT) of produce in the Orenburg region, but rather than destroying the fruit and vegetables they were sent back across the border into Kazakhstan.

The southern neighbor has been a frequent source of re-export for foodstuffs prohibited under Russia's countersanctions against the EU, Norway, the U.S., Canada, Australia and other sanctioning countries.

The shipment included 68.5 metric tons (MT) of fresh watermelons, 48MT of fresh melons, 19.8Mt of fresh garlic, 12.5MT of fresh peaches, 10.5MT of dried apricots, 4.5MT of fresh apricots, 4.5MT of fresh onions and 3MT of fresh grapes.

The products were described as coming from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and China, but they were rejected due to instances of either the absence of phytosanitary certificates, invalid phytosanitary certificates, or discrepancies between certificates and shipping documents.

Since the start of 2016 the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) office in Orenburg has sent back 187 vehicles carrying 2,771 metric tons (MT) of regulated products.

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