Russia threatens to restrict rice imports from Pakistan over phytosanitary concerns
Published on: May 1, 2024.
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Russia Warns of Potential Rice Import Ban from Pakistan
A recent notification from the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) of Russia has raised concerns about the phytosanitary issues in rice shipments imported from Pakistan. Unless these concerns are addressed, Russia has cautioned that a ban on rice imports may be imposed.
The notification, labeled as FS-SA-3/6592 and dated April 2, 2024, highlights the discovery of a quarantine organism, “Megaselia scalaris (Loew),” in a shipment of rice from Pakistan. This has prompted the FSVPS to request an immediate investigation from the plenipotentiary and trade representative at the Pakistani embassy in Russia.
To prevent future violations, the FSVPS has emphasized the importance of complying with phytosanitary standards in order to ensure the safety of agricultural products traded between countries. The Russian authorities have urged the Pakistani embassy to take necessary measures to prevent similar violations in the future.
In response, the Pakistani embassy in Moscow has forwarded the English version of the notification to the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) and other relevant government departments for investigation. The embassy has stressed the urgency of swift communication of the findings to the FSVPS to avoid potential restrictions on rice exports in the future.
It is worth noting that in 2019, Russia imposed a ban on rice imports from Pakistan due to similar concerns, which lasted for approximately two years. The ban was eventually lifted following negotiations between officials from both countries. Additionally, back in December 2006, Russia had halted rice imports from Pakistan, citing failure to meet food safety standards.
Source: Dawn
