There continues to be a European Union ban on Egyptian seeds despite the expiration of the period agreed upon to lift the ban on legumes like beans and peas, which account for 90 percent of the exports of agricultural crops, said Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Salah Farag. “The EU has placed controls and conditions on the import of Egyptian seeds, but we will provide all documents necessary to show that the seeds are free of e. Coli,” Farag said in a press statement on Tuesday. The lifting of the ban was supposed the occur on October 31 but the EU decided to extend it because actions taken by Egyptian authorities to ensure the safety of such seeds and plants are “insufficient.” The EU also called for a scientific report from the European Commission for Food Security in order to make a decision on the ban extension by the end of October. Despite the final report extending the EU ban there is evidence to show that Egyptian seeds are free of e. Coli, Farag said, adding that he believes exports will resume soon.
