Since the beginning of the year through mid-June, the Volgograd branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Quality Assessment of Agricultural Products” (FSBI “TsOK APK”) has received and analyzed 71 batches of potatoes grown by local farmers, with a total weight exceeding 11.5 thousand tons. The laboratory conducted a comprehensive range of tests, including virological, entomological, helminthological, mycological, and bacteriological examinations, strictly in accordance with Decision No. 157 of the Eurasian Economic Union, which establishes unified quarantine phytosanitary requirements. According to Daria Ponomareva, a specialist at the plant quarantine department, all tested samples fully complied with the established safety and quality standards.
The laboratory’s primary mission is to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products, carefully inspecting them for harmful impurities, latent diseases, pathogens, and quarantine objects, while also taking measures to prevent their spread. Following the tests, the necessary documents are issued to facilitate further sales of the produce. According to the regional agricultural committee, the potato sowing campaign concluded in May, with the total area under potatoes, vegetables, and melons reaching 54.2 thousand hectares. Currently, the laboratory is analyzing last year’s harvest from the Svetloyarsky, Gorodishchensky, and Sredneakhtubinsky districts, with testing of early-season varieties set to begin soon. Local potatoes remain in high demand both within the Volgograd region and beyond, including for use in chip production.
