The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) of the Russian Federation has cautioned Pakistan of a potential ban on rice imports should their phytosanitary concerns not be adequately addressed in future consignments.
In a notification issued by the FSVPS, numbered FS-SA-3/6592 and dated April 2, 2024, violations of international and Russian phytosanitary requirements were highlighted over a shipment of rice imported from Pakistan. The presence of a quarantine organism, “Megaselia scalaris (Loew),” in the rice consignment was identified.
The FSVPS has urged the plenipotentiary and trade representative at the Pakistani embassy in Russia to conduct an immediate investigation into the matter. A copy of the notice issued by the Russian authorities shows that the FSVPS has asked the relevant official in the Pakistani embassy to prevent such violations in the future, emphasizing the importance of adhering to phytosanitary standards to ensure the safety of agricultural products traded between the two countries.
The trade wing of the Pakistani embassy in Moscow has forwarded the English translation of the Russian authority’s letter to the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) in the Ministry of Food Security and other relevant government offices in Pakistan.
The letter by the embassy to the DPP states, “In view of the above, it is requested that an investigation may be conducted immediately and the results of the investigation may please be shared with FSVPS in order to avoid any possible ban on rice exports in the future.”
Meanwhile, the FSVPS has also sent an official communication to the director of DPP, seeking a higher degree of cooperation in the field of plant quarantine.
Russia had previously imposed a ban on similar grounds in 2019, which remained in place for around two years. It was lifted after a series of negotiations between officials of both sides. Earlier, in December 2006, Russia also stopped the import of rice from Pakistan for not meeting food safety standards.
