ECOFEST 2019: BRINGING SOIL BY RULES

“How is it possible to deliver soil to Minsk?” - EcoFest 2019 guests could puzzle Google, Siri and Alice with such an unusual question. So that you do not torture your “smart assistants”, we learned the details and rules from competent authorities.

Soil and ground are included in the list of quarantineable products subject to phytosanitary control at the border and at the place of delivery.

How is phytosanitary control passed?

Option # 1. Simple

Select the checkpoint, where there are specialists of the “Major State Inspection for seed production, quarantine and plant protection”. They will be able to carry out phytosanitary control right at the customs. Here they are:

On the State border of the Republic of Belarus with the Republic of Latvia:

• Railway checkpoint: Polotsk (Belarus) – Daugavpils (Latvia);
• Road checkpoints: Grigorovshchina – Paternieki, Urbany – Silene.

On the State border of the Republic of Belarus with the Republic of Lithuania:

• Railway checkpoint: Molodechno (Belarus) – Vaidotai (Lithuania);
• Road checkpoints: Beniakoni – Šalčininkai, Kamenny Log – Myadininkai, Kotlovka – Lavoriskes, Pryvalka – Raigardas.

On the State border of the Republic of Belarus with the Republic of Poland:

• Road checkpoints: Berestovitsa (Belarus) – Bobrowniki (Poland), Warsaw Bridge – Terespol, Bruzgi – Kuznitsa Bialystok, Domachevo – Slovatychy, Kozlovichy – Kukuryky.

On the State border of the Republic of Belarus with Ukraine:

• Railway checkpoints: Brest-Vostochny (Belarus) – Kovel (Ukraine), Luninets – Sarny, Gomel-Nechetny – Chernigov, Kalinkovichi – Ovruch;
• Road checkpoints: Verkhny Terebezhov – Gorodishche, Mokrany – Domanovo, Nova Guta – Novye Yarylovychi, Novaya Rudnya – Vystupovichi.

Checkpoints at airports:

• National airport “Minsk”.

Option # 2. Provident

You can get a phytosanitary certificate for a soil sample at home. And, thus, not to depend on the customs checkpoint. By the way, this certificate is mandatory if you plan to carry more than 5 kg of soil (though, in fact, that much is not necessary).

Option # 3. Risky

The first two options will provide you with peace of mind and EcoTechnoPark - with needed soil samples. But there are also those who would decide to rely on good luck, on the loyalty of border control officers or their inattention. They might get lucky, too. However, if problems at the border arise, and customs officers are adamant, administrative responsibility is provisioned. A fine of 255 to 765 BYN (≈ 125-376 $) is applied for importing seeds, plants, products of plant origin and other materials (including soil) that have not passed phytosanitary control and, if necessary, appropriate treatment to the Republic of Belarus.

What else is important to remember when exporting/importing soil and soil samples?

What soil should be taken for importing?

The organizers of the festival ask to bring 2-3 kilograms of living fertile soil, untouched by plowing, mineral fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. The soil should be of natural moisture (not dried), with all natural microflora and microfauna, bugs and worms, roots and seeds of plants, etc.

The best place to get such a sample will be a forest, cottage or garden plot.

Rules of soil export from the country

We have explained how to bring soil to Belarus. However, in some countries there might arise questions related to exporting soil samples from their territories. These questions may be settled with a phytosanitary certificate received by EcoFest 2019 guests at home. If it is not available, it is better to get to know the order of exporting soil from the territory of your own country.

Why is it necessary at all?

We would not be surprised if the above rules have caused your doubts: “Is it worth it to bother?” Let us recall what the organizers of EcoFest 2019 have started all of it for.

A special bank of living soils and soil microorganisms is set up on-site EcoTechnoPark. It is planned to collect the maximum variety of samples from different regions of the world. This is necessary to create a unique relic humus that can be used to restore all types of soil, increase their fertility and slow down their degradation.

In light of recent events, witnessing that humanity has already consumed the amount of natural resources, which was provided until the end of 2019, the work of the agrotechnical research laboratory at SkyWay Technologies Co. is particularly relevant. It is planned to combine the technology of industrial production of relic humus of brown coal and shale with power generation in the future. This will allow obtaining raw materials needed to increase soil fertility and transform power generation to minimize its harmful impact on the environment.

We suggest that EcoFest 2019 guests would just bring a few handfuls of ground from their homeland with the aim to save the future of our planet.

 

Photo source: unsplash.com