Global Rice News

Russia Warns Pakistan of Potential Rice Import Ban

Russia has issued a warning to Pakistan regarding potential rice import bans if the country fails to address phytosanitary concerns in future consignments. The warning comes after Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) identified the presence of a quarantine organism, “Megaselia scalaris (Loew),” in a recent rice consignment from Pakistan. A notification highlighting the violations of international and Russian phytosanitary requirements was issued by the FSVPS on April 2.

Prompted by this notification, Pakistan’s trade representative in Russia’s embassy has been instructed to conduct an immediate investigation into the matter. The Russian authorities have also written to the Pakistan embassy, urging them to prevent further violations and ensure that all Pakistani rice exporters adhere to phytosanitary standards to guarantee the safety of the agricultural products traded between the two countries.

In the past, Russia has imposed bans on rice imports from Pakistan due to health safety concerns. In 2019, a ban was imposed on rice imports, and a similar ban occurred in December 2006 for not meeting food safety standards. To avoid future bans, the trade wing 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 relevant government offices, cautioning that repeated complaints from Russian authorities could result in a ban on rice exports.

Chela Ram Kewlani, Chairman of the Pakistan Rice Exporters Association, emphasized the need for extreme caution in the selection and packaging of all rice for export. He acknowledged that Pakistan has benefited from India’s ban on non-Basmati rice exports last year, as India holds a significant share in the global rice trade.

According to a prominent Pakistani rice dealer, December 2023 witnessed the highest monthly rice exports for the fiscal year, with approximately 700,000 tonnes exported. This surge in exports can be attributed to increased production, demand, and elevated global prices. The Rice Export Corporation anticipates a 60% increase in Basmati rice exports to over a million tonnes and a 36% increase in non-Basmati rice exports to 4.25 million tonnes from Pakistan. They are aiming to achieve exports of over five million metric tonnes of all rice in the fiscal year 2023/2024, significantly surpassing the previous fiscal year’s exports of 3.7 million tonnes.

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