Europe rejects ‘substandard’ Pakistani rice, EU blocks 104 consignments

By Prashasti Satyanand Shetty

Pakistan’s rice export consignments have been rejected by European countries due to quality issues. And now, on March 1, it was discussed by the country’s National Assembly panel in the capital, Islamabad. In 2024, the European Union had blocked 104 consignments of ‘substandard’ rice from Pakistan. This move made the country incur financial losses, subsequently affecting the national exchequer.

The rice was rejected for the presence of pesticides beyond the permissible limit; this was discussed in the meeting. Emphasis was laid on crucial and mandatory steps to be taken for quality control, and no detail or process shall be neglected in this regard.

Pakistan-based news outlet Dawn reported that chairman Mohammad Jawed Hanif Khan instructed that strict action be taken against groups and individuals responsible for interrupting with procedures and urged for accountability. Another point of discussion was the monopolistic practices taking place in the fumigation sector that were inversely affecting the export of rice. Khan asked for immediate action to be taken to fix and dismantle the monopolistic system.

Boost in rice export

From July to December 2024, Pakistan was celebrating a boost in food exports when the country’s rice export increased by 14.50% year-on-year, bringing the value to $1.87 billion, as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

A 416,491 tonnes year-on-year increase in basmati rice production was witnessed, which is about a 30.62% hike, and its value surged by 18.06% to $433.82 million. While non-basmati rice exports jumped by approximately 13.5%, the quantity increased by nearly 17%.

But the growth in exports did burn a hole in the pockets of Pakistanis; a kilogramme of basmati, which was priced at $0.54 USD (PKR 150), surged to $1.43 USD (PKR 400).

This article has been republished from The Wion News.