Islamabad, Oct 8: Pakistan Recognized as Lowest-Risk Country for Food Safety Standards in Rice. According to food safety standards, Pakistan is the nation with the lowest risk for rice exports in the fiscal year 2023–2024. India’s 16% share of the European rice market is now much outnumbered by 25% held by Pakistani rice.
During a meeting between Commerce Minister Jam Kamal and Malik Faisal Jahangir, the recently elected Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), this information was revealed. Maintaining Pakistan’s rice exports in the face of declining global prices and India’s recent decision to lift its ban on rice shipments in October were the key topics of discussion.
Mr. Jahangir pointed out that India received 264 fast notifications about pesticides and other food safety risks last year, but Pakistan only received 74. “This demonstrates Pakistan’s rice sector is more compliant,” he noted. He also emphasized the increased frequency of food safety alerts for nations including Turkey, India, Spain, Italy, and the UK.
Mr. Jahangir expressed worries about a negative campaign that would harm Pakistan’s export brand notwithstanding this achievement. He underlined the necessity of keeping a positive image in global marketplaces. The minimum export price was eliminated by the Commerce Ministry in order to increase Pakistan’s competitiveness with India.
There is still worry, though, that Pakistan could not be able to export as much as it did last year due to low pricing. In order to guarantee adherence to European standards and promote export expansion, Minister Kamal called for increased cooperation between the government and exporters. He underlined the importance of rice exports to Pakistan’s economy and stated that in the upcoming years, the export value will rise from $4 billion to $6-7 billion.
