Russia, Moscow likely to lift the ban from import of Pakistani rice

• The Russian government intends to send a team of experts to Pakistan in January to check the quality of  Pakistani rice.

• Pakistan exports rice to approximately 150 countries worldwide and earns millions of dollars in foreign exchange.

• During the last financial year (2017-18), Pakistan earned more than $2 billion from rice exports.

Russia and Mexico are likely to lift the year-long ban on rice imports from Pakistan, a government official has revealed. Pakistan exports rice to approximately 150 countries worldwide, making up a significant chunk of our imports, by earning millions of dollars in foreign exchange annualy. 

Pakistani rice is imported by Asian countries, as well as American, European, and African countries.

Pakistan earns millions from rice exports:

During the last financial year (2017-18), Pakistan earned more than $2 billion from rice exports. More than three thousand million tons of rice is exported to Russia annually earning Pakistan $500 million every year,

While the amount of Pakistani rice exported to Mexico is lower as compared Russia, it also earns thousands of dollars in foreign exchange.

A senior official at the Trade Development Authority (TDA) Amer ur Rehman, a company working to promote exports in Pakistan, told the Independent Urdu that Russia and Mexico banned the import due to the presence of ‘khapra beetle’ in Pakistani rice grains.

However,Amer ur Rehman said that Pakistani institutions have taken enough steps to resolve the Russian government’s objections. The Russian government intends to send a team of experts to Pakistan in January to check the quality of the Pakistani rice, he added.

Amir-ur-Rehman hoped Russian experts would report positively after the inspection, and that the ban on the Pakistani rice imports would be lifted.

Also See:

Rice Exports Up By 44pc During The First Four Months Of FY20

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