HANOI: The agriculture ministry has announced the suspension of wheat imports from Ukraine from January 12 after a destructive foreign grain beetle was found in shipments.
A statement from the ministry’s plant protection department said nearly 2,800 tons in 109 containers imported from Ukraine in September and October were found with the grain weevil (Sitophilus granarius), whose larvae eat the inside of grain kernels.
The pest has never been found in Vietnam and is included in the country’s quarantine list for plant safety as it can damage most grains like wheat, rice, corn, beans, and peanuts and can cause heavy losses to the economy, the department said.