Russia to guarantee wheat quality to Egypt

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and Egypt have agreed that all shipments of Russian grain to Egypt will be accompanied by official certificates confirming that they comply with Egyptian wheat quality standards, Russia said on Tuesday.

"Our target is that the exported grain is accompanied by certificates issued by the state and not by surveyors' companies," the head of the country's animal and plant health watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, Sergei Dankvert, said in a statement.

"Speculators seek to buy cheaper and to sell at a higher price, while the state is interested in conquering prestige on the world market. We follow different paths," he said.

Egypt is one of the world's top wheat importers and Russia is its major supplier.

Wheat shipments from Russia have been under scrutiny in the most populous Arab state since mid-May, when the prosecutor ordered a probe after dead bugs and impurities were found in Russian wheat imported by private firm Egyptian Traders.

Dankvert said that a comparison of certificates issued by Rosselkhoznadzor and documents that had accompanied some Russian shipments also showed a difference in protein content and humidity of the grain.

A protocol of talks between Rosselkhoznadzor and the Central Administration for Plants' Quarantine held on May 24 and May 25 said that the Egyptian side had not revealed any violations and therefore had not issued any notifications, Rosselkhoznadzor said.

"As of today the Russian side has not received any documents from Egypt on the seized grain shipments," Dankvert said in the statement on the Agriculture Ministry's web site, www.mcx.ru.