Ministry lifts temporary ban on fruits, vegetables from India

Qatari authorities have lifted the temporary ban on fresh, chilled and frozen vegetables and fruits from India, imposed towards the end of May this year, following reports of the outbreak of Nipah virus in a northern Kerala district.

According to information released Thursday by the Health and Food Control section of the Ministry of Public Health to importers of foodstuffs in the country, the Joint Commission for the Control of Food for human consumption announced the decision to lift the ban.
The decision follows the stabilisation of the epidemiological situations following the outbreak of Nipah virus.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also declared earlier this month that the effects of Nipah virus have been effectively controlled in the region of Kerala, where the outbreak was reported in May.
“Therefore permission has been granted to import fresh, chilled and frozen fruits and vegetables from India, particularly the southern state Kerala,” the note said.
As a result of the ban, there have been shortages at the local retail outlets for more than 45 days for some of the sought after vegetables and fruits from Kerala.
“However, as a considerably large number of the Indian expatriates, notably those from Kerala, are on vacation, the shortage of some of the vegetables and fruits from the state had only a marginal impact in the market,” said a retailer.

أعلنت اللجنة المشتركة لمراقبة الأغذية الآدمية رفع الحظر عن استيراد الفواكه والخضراوات الطازجة والمبردة والمجمدة من ولاية كيرلا في الهند، والتي سبق حظر استيرادها مؤقتاً في شهر يونيو الماضي كإجراء احترازي، ويأتي ذلك بعد استقرار الوضع الوبائي لفيروس نيباه في ولاية كيرلا الهندية. وتؤكد اللجنة ضرورة اتباع الإرشادات الصحية الموصى بها، والتي تتمثل في غسل وتقشير الفاكهة قبل الاستهلاك.;