Translation from Russian

APPROVED BY
Chief of the State Plant Quarantine Inspection of Russian Federation A. S. Vasiutin
Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Russian Federation
November 16, 1998

INSTRUCTIONS
on quarantine monitoring of citrus fruits arriving from RSA to ports of Russian Federation and subjected to experimental-industrial disinfection by method of refrigeration in transit

1. General

1.1. Disinfection of citrus fruits by method of refrigeration is designed to kill larvae, puparia and eggs of Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Ceratitis Capitata Wied), a quarantine pest absent in the territory of Russian Federation.

1.2. Mediterranean fruit fly is widely dispersed in many foreign countries, including RSA where it causes substantial damage to fruit and citrus growing industries. The pest is quite polyphagous and damages 70 species of various crops, including fruits of oranges, mandarins, grapefruits, apricot, peach, sweet cherry, apple, etc.

1.3. With a view to protect the territory of Russian Federation against Mediterranean Fruit Fly state quarantine measures are carried out. One of effective methods of disinfection of citrus fruits is their disinfection by refrigeration.

1.4. Since refrigeration in stationary conditions inrefrigerated chambers last during 16 to 21 day depending on temperature and cooling system, and the transportation of citruses from RSA ports to Russian ports takes minimum 21 day, experiments were conducted on refrigeration in transit. Results of these experiments have given foundation for practical use of this method of disinfection of citruses from Mediterranean Fruit Fly.

2. Procedure of monitoring of citrus arriving from RSA

2.1. Transportation of citrus from the ports of RSA to ports of Russian Federation must be carried out only in refrigerated vessels with temperatures to be checked in each hold and each deck of the hold (levels А, В, С, etc.) minimum 3 times over every 24 hour period.

2.2. Fluctuation of temperature in holds and decks where the citrus are contained should be kept within 2.5 to 4.5 degrees Centigrade. Maximum tolerable temperature (4.5 °C) cannot exceed 0.5 ° (total 5.0 °C) for the period longer than 3 days either in succession or intermittently per voyage.

2.3. Temperatures are to be recorded by automatic thermographs on thermograms. Original thermograms or their copies covering the whole voyage must be handed over to the representative of local plant quarantine inspection by the vessel's captain on arrival at the port of destination, together with phytosanitary certificates and other quarantine documentation accompanying the citrus fruits consignment.

2.4. The plant quarantine inspector must examine the thermograms from every hold and deck for the whole period of the voyage. If the temperatures recorded on the thermograms do not contradict the provisions of clause 2.2 hereof, a permit for unrestricted marketing of dissinfected citrus shall be issued to consignees.

2.5. If in season between the 1^st of April and the 1^st of October a whole consignment of citrus fruits or any part thereof were transported with breaches of temperature conditions set forth in clause 2.2. of these Instructions, then in accordance with the existing quarantine restrictions on importation and usage in Russia of imported plant products they will be fumigated or refrigerated in stationary conditions.

2.6. In case of breach of temperature regime of transportation of citrus from RSA to Russian Federation in season between the 1^st of April and the 1^st of October and resulting necessity of fumigation or refrigeration of fruits, the quarantine inspector shall then draw up a statement in compliance with Supplement 1 hereof, in four copies. One copy of the statement will be filed with the local inspectorate, one will be delivered to the consignee, one to the vessel's master and one will be sent over to the State Plant Quarantine Inspection, Moscow.

2.7. The order of control and release enforced by the present Instructions is covering only citrus fruit (oranges, mandarins, tangerines, grapefruit) supplied from Southern Africa from production areas supplying to Outspan International.

The shipments of citrus must be accompanied by phytosanitary documentation of the relevant Phyto services of South Africa.

2.8. In case of discharge of citrus into Outspan cold storage facilities in the European ports of Flushing, Antwerp, Bremenhafen, Sheerness, Tilbury, but intended for later onward transport to Russia, this fruit must complete the cycle of refrigeration in stationary conditions in compliance with the technology prescribed in the present Instructions.

2.9. In this case, every shipment of Outspan citrus during the period from April 1^st to October 1^st must be accompanied by Outspan's guarantee letter mentioning the periods of refrigeration of these shipments on vessels in transit, as well as in stationary conditions (at Port terminals), range of temperatures during refrigeration, names of vessels, port of re-loading of the cargo.

2.10. Shipments of citrus from Southern Africa which are re-loaded from European port as per clause 2.8 hereof shall pass quarantine inspection at Russian border in compliance with the existing regulations, norms and the present Instructions.