South Korea's quarantine agency said Monday it will implement tougher regulations on tomato leafminers as part of efforts to maintain stable exports to Japan amid reported infections.

Under the regulation, tomato farms exporting their products to Japan must conduct trap investigations two months prior to harvest to verify that the farms are free from tomato leafminer infections.

The decision follows an agreement reached between South Korean and Japanese authorities, with the new rule set to take effect at the start of January, according to the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency.

The measure came after South Korea reported tomato leafminer infections at local farms in March.

South Korea exports around 3,400 tons of tomatoes annually to Japan, accounting for 1.2 percent of the country's total production. (Yonhap)