Islamabad: After the obstacles imposed by the European Union on the import of Pakistani rice, the government has decided to establish the National Food Security, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority. The government has taken the decision to remove objections raised on the quality of Pakistani rice and improve the quality of Pakistani products.
In this regard, the federal cabinet was informed that 72 shipments of rice were canceled by European countries in 2024 due to substandard quality.
It may be recalled that a few days ago, Food Minister Rana Tanveer had also directed rice exporters to improve the quality of rice and warned that if this trend continues, a ban may also be imposed by the European Union.
It should be noted that in the past, Russia has also imposed a ban on the import of Pakistani rice, which took a long time to remove. The draft submitted to the cabinet states that an inquiry has revealed the incompetence of the relevant ministry.
It has been reported that the outdated structure of the organization is unable to cope with new challenges, the inquiry has recommended the creation of a new independent and international standards-based institution, as a result of which it has been decided to establish the National Food Security, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority.
This authority will enable access to global agricultural markets, while also being responsible for maintaining quality in the supply chain.
The cabinet was informed that a similar draft was also presented in the National Assembly in 2017, however, this bill could not be passed, in 2024, this draft was presented to the Law and Justice Division, which asked for approval from the cabinet before presenting it in the National Assembly.
The Prime Minister approved the presentation of the draft bill to the federal cabinet, the cabinet considered the draft on December 30, 2024, and gave in-principle approval to the draft.
