Russia warns Pakistan to ban rice imports due to phytosanitary concerns

After a quarantine organism was found in the rice consignment, Russia has threatened to restrict rice imports from Pakistan, if its phytosanitary concerns are not met in next consignments.

The warning was issued in response to a notification from Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) about a shipment of rice that had been imported from Pakistan and had violated both Russian and international phytosanitary regulations. The notification, dated April 2, notes that the rice shipment contains “Megaselia scalaris (Loew),” a quarantine organism.

The trade wing of the embassy has forwarded the letter from the Russian authority to the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) in the Ministry of Food Security and other pertinent government offices.

In 2019, Russia banned the import of rice from Pakistan due to health and safety concerns. Similar to this, Russia banned the import of rice from Pakistan in December 2006 due to noncompliance with food safety regulations. Chela Ram Kewlani, the chairman of the Pakistan Rice Exporters Association, advised Pakistani rice exporters to exercise extreme caution when selecting and packing any rice for export.

According to him, Pakistan exported rice last year at a higher price due to increased demand and supply. The Rice Export Corporation forecasts a 36% increase in non-Basmati rice shipments to 4.25 million tonnes from Pakistan and a 60% increase in Basmati rice exports to over a million tonnes.