Ecuador ready to accept Russian specialists for auditing banana producers - Rosselkhoznadzor

MOSCOW. Aug 15 (Interfax) - Ecuador is prepared to accept Russian specialists for inspecting banana cultivation enterprises, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) said, citing Ecuadorian Agriculture and Livestock Minister Franklin Danilo Palacios Marquez.

"He [Palacios] expressed readiness to receive Russian specialists for inspecting Ecuadorian banana cultivation enterprises and fish production facilities," Rosselkhoznadzor said following negotiations between the service's head, Sergei Dankvert, and Palacios. Both officials serve as co-chairs of the Russian-Ecuadorian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation.

"The parties agreed to hold technical negotiations regarding inspections. The Ecuadorian side gave assurances that they would shortly provide lists of companies interested in supplying their products to Russia," Rosselkhoznadzor said.

As reported, Russian specialists conducted inspections in Ecuador in late April this year, including examinations of product quarantine certification systems. This became necessary after the discovery of a dangerous plant pest, the polyphagous humpback fly, in bananas imported from Ecuador in 2025.

However, as Dankvert told journalists in June, Rosselkhoznadzor remained dissatisfied with the results of inspections of banana suppliers. "The Ecuadorian side needs to systematize the number of exporters and provide us with a list," he said.

According to Rosselkhoznadzor, Ecuador annually supplies around 1.4 million tonnes of bananas to Russia. A total of 1.3 million tonnes were imported in 2024, while 883,300 tonnes were received during the current period of 2025.

The negotiations also addressed other aspects of trade and economic cooperation.

The current level of Russian-Ecuadorian trade doesn't reflect the potential of both economies, necessitating increased volumes, Dankvert said.

Ecuador ranked second in trade turnover with Russia among Latin American countries last year. Key Russian exports included fertilizers and oil and petroleum products, while imports consisted of Ecuadorian agricultural products - bananas, flowers and shrimp.

The negotiations also resulted in an agreement to hold the seventh meeting of the Russian-Ecuadorian intergovernmental commission on October 7-8, 2025, in Moscow.