Islamabad: Russia on Friday has allowed the import of rice from four rice enterprises, after several discussions and parlays at the embassy and ministry level, news sources reported. The decision came after the implementation of phytosanitary measures recommended by the Ministry of Food Security’s Department of Plant Protection (DPP) of the Quarantine Division.
From Pakistan, Deputy Director Technical Quarantine of DPP Sohail Shazad led the negotiations for lifting the previously-imposed ban. Reportedly, the Russian side wanted comprehensive pest surveillance in paddy fields as well as the application of the Pakistan Plant Quarantine system.
Pakistan has now complied with the said requirements, and Russian Delegation also visited in February 2020, to confirm the implementation and adherence to the said standards. The Russian National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) has allowed four rice firms to export rice in the first phase, two of which are from Karachi, one from Lahore, and one from Chiniot.
Historically, Pakistan has exported food and industrial materials to Russia. With the recent measures, bilateral trade has started to warm up in the recent decade
Nauman Ahmad is an imaginative Pisces whose love for literature and nature is unparalleled. When he's not reading or hiking, he's sleeping and eating, which gives him plenty of energy for his next adventure.
