Phytosanitary issues: Russia alerts Pakistan of rice import ban  

Russia has informed Pakistan that it will likely impose another ban on rice imports if phytosanitary issues are not resolved in the next shipments.

According to details, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (FSVPS) issued an alert notification regarding violations of international and Russian phytosanitary standards in a shipment of rice imported from Pakistan.

The notification mentioned the presence of a quarantine organism, “Megaselia scalaris (Loew),” in the rice shipment.

The FSVPS has asked the plenipotentiary and trade representative at the Pakistani embassy in Russia to conduct an immediate investigation into the matter. The trade team at the Pakistani embassy in Moscow forwarded the letter from Russian authorities to Pakistan's Department of Plant Protection and other relevant government agencies.

The letter by the embassy to the DPP said it is requested that the probe be conducted immediately and the results of the investigation may please be shared with FSVPS to avoid any possible ban on rice exports in the future.

At the same time, the FSVPS has sent an official message to the director of the DPP, requesting increased cooperation regarding plant quarantine measures.

Moreover, Russia previously banned rice imports from Pakistan for about two years starting in 2019, and earlier, in December 2006, due to food safety concerns.