A recent issue has surfaced regarding the export of substandard and counterfeit rice from Pakistan to the European Union (EU). This topic was addressed during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Commerce, chaired by Muhammad Javed Hanif, where the EU’s objections to Pakistani rice exports were discussed.
Committee member Mirza Ikhtiyar Baig revealed that the EU had issued over 100 alerts about the quality of rice exported from Pakistan. He raised concerns about the increasing presence of fake and subpar rice in the EU market, calling for better oversight to prevent such issues.
Sharmila Faruqi, another committee member, pointed out that the EU had imposed 72 barriers on Pakistani rice exports in 2024 due to quality concerns. Despite the establishment of a new National Food Safety Authority, the quality issues remained unresolved.
Jawad Pahl, Secretary of Commerce, responded by dismissing the EU’s concerns, stating that no formal warnings had been issued, and that the situation had been exaggerated. However, further discussions revealed that the EU had issued a warning on a rice consignment from Punjab. The committee stressed the importance of improving collaboration with the agricultural sector to tackle these quality issues.
Baig assured that Pakistan’s rice production was strong this year, and exports had been performing well. Trade officials explained they were working with provincial authorities to address the quality concerns and had held multiple meetings with stakeholders.
Additionally, it was mentioned that Bangladesh had ordered 50,000 tons of rice from the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), underscoring the urgency of resolving the quality issues to maintain export markets.
The committee decided to invite rice exporters’ associations to the next meeting to receive a detailed briefing on the matter. The chairman emphasized the need to address the concerns comprehensively with all involved parties.
