Russia issues warning to Pakistan over rice imports due to safety concerns
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Moscow: Russia has cautioned Pakistan about the potential ban on rice imports following the detection of a quarantine organism in a recent rice shipment.
The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) of Russia issued a notification dated April 2, pointing out violations of international and Russian phytosanitary standards in a rice consignment imported from Pakistan. The notification specifically mentioned the discovery of the quarantine organism "Megaselia scalaris (Loew)" in the rice shipment.
In response to this, Pakistan's trade representative in Russia has been directed to conduct an immediate investigation into the matter. The Russian authorities have also communicated with the Pakistan embassy, emphasizing the need to prevent such violations in the future. They urged Pakistani rice exporters to adhere to phytosanitary standards to ensure the safety of agricultural products exchanged between the two nations.
Forwarding the Russian authority's letter to the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) under the Ministry of Food Security and other relevant government bodies, the trade wing of the Pakistani embassy in Moscow highlighted the potential ban on rice exports if further complaints arise from Russian authorities.
It's worth noting that Russia had previously imposed a ban on rice imports from Pakistan in 2019 due to health safety concerns. Additionally, in December 2006, rice imports from Pakistan were halted by Russia for failing to meet food safety standards.
Chela Ram Kewlani, Chairman of the Pakistan Rice Exporters Association, emphasized the importance of meticulous selection and packaging of rice for export. He noted that Pakistan had seen benefits from India's decision to halt exports of non-Basmati rice last year, considering India holds a significant share, approximately 40%, in globally traded rice.
India had ceased the export of white non-Basmati and parboiled rice last year.
Recent data indicates that Pakistan exported approximately 700,000 tonnes of rice in December 2023, marking the highest monthly export for that fiscal year. This surge in exports was driven by increased production, rising demand, and elevated global rice prices.
The Rice Export Corporation of Pakistan anticipates a substantial increase in rice exports for the fiscal year 2023/2024. They project a 60% rise in Basmati rice exports to over a million tonnes and a 36% increase in non-Basmati rice exports to 4.25 million tonnes. The total rice exports are expected to exceed five million metric tonnes, a significant rise from the previous fiscal year's exports of 3.7 million tonnes.
