KARACHI: Russia has warned Pakistan that it will again ban rice imports if Moscow's phytosanitary concerns are not addressed in future shipments after quarantine organisms were found in rice consignments.
The warning comes after Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) issued a notification regarding violations of international and Russian phytosanitary requirements on a consignment of rice imported from Pakistan.
The April 2 notification highlights the presence of a quarantine organism, "Megaselia scalaris (Lowe)", in the rice consignment.
Pakistan's trade representative at its embassy in Russia was asked to immediately investigate the matter.
Russian officials have written to the Pakistan Embassy to stop such violations and ensure that all Pakistani rice exporters follow phytosanitary standards to ensure the safety of agricultural products traded between the two countries.The trade branch of the Pakistani Embassy in Moscow has forwarded the Russian authority's letter to the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) in the Ministry of Food Security and other concerned government offices, warning of a possible ban on rice exports in future. Complaints were received from Russian authorities.
Russia had earlier banned rice imports from Pakistan in 2019 due to health safety reasons.
Similarly, in December 2006, Russia had stopped the import of rice from Pakistan for not meeting the food safety standards.
Chela Ram Kewalani, president of Pakistan Rice Exporters Association, said Pakistani rice exporters need to be very careful in choosing the packaging of rice for export.
He said Pakistan had benefited from India's ban on export of non-Basmat rice last year, as India's share in global traded rice is about 40 per cent.Last year, India banned the export of white non-Basmati and parboiled rice.
Nearly 700,000 tonnes of rice was exported in December 2023 alone, the highest in a single month for the fiscal year, according to a major Pakistani rice dealer.
He said Pakistan exported rice last year with high production and increase in demand and rise in global prices.
The Rice Export Corporation of Pakistan is projecting a 60 per cent rise in exports of basmati rice to over one million tonnes and a 36 per cent rise in exports of non-basmat rice to 4.25 million tonnes.
It is eyeing exports of more than 5 million metric tons of rice in the 2023/2024 financial year, which will be significantly higher than last fiscal year's export of 3.7 million tons.
The warning comes after Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) issued a notification regarding violations of international and Russian phytosanitary requirements on a consignment of rice imported from Pakistan.
The April 2 notification highlights the presence of a quarantine organism, "Megaselia scalaris (Lowe)", in the rice consignment.
Pakistan's trade representative at its embassy in Russia was asked to immediately investigate the matter.
Russian officials have written to the Pakistan Embassy to stop such violations and ensure that all Pakistani rice exporters follow phytosanitary standards to ensure the safety of agricultural products traded between the two countries.The trade branch of the Pakistani Embassy in Moscow has forwarded the Russian authority's letter to the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) in the Ministry of Food Security and other concerned government offices, warning of a possible ban on rice exports in future. Complaints were received from Russian authorities.
Russia had earlier banned rice imports from Pakistan in 2019 due to health safety reasons.
Similarly, in December 2006, Russia had stopped the import of rice from Pakistan for not meeting the food safety standards.
Chela Ram Kewalani, president of Pakistan Rice Exporters Association, said Pakistani rice exporters need to be very careful in choosing the packaging of rice for export.
He said Pakistan had benefited from India's ban on export of non-Basmat rice last year, as India's share in global traded rice is about 40 per cent.Last year, India banned the export of white non-Basmati and parboiled rice.
Nearly 700,000 tonnes of rice was exported in December 2023 alone, the highest in a single month for the fiscal year, according to a major Pakistani rice dealer.
He said Pakistan exported rice last year with high production and increase in demand and rise in global prices.
The Rice Export Corporation of Pakistan is projecting a 60 per cent rise in exports of basmati rice to over one million tonnes and a 36 per cent rise in exports of non-basmat rice to 4.25 million tonnes.
It is eyeing exports of more than 5 million metric tons of rice in the 2023/2024 financial year, which will be significantly higher than last fiscal year's export of 3.7 million tons.
