ISLAMABAD: To avoid interceptions from the European Union (EU) on Pakistan’s rice exports, the government has decided to put the house in order to ensure international compliance for putting agricultural products exports on a positive trajectory.
Ministry of National Food Security and Research to this effect has sent a summary to ECC, seeking approval for the release of Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) amounting to Rs910 million for the establishment of the National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority (NFSAPHRA) which will ensure international compliance on exports of Pakistan’s agricultural products.
The ministry under the plan will transform the Department of Plant Protection’s organizational and operational set-up, with an EU-accredited facility in Pakistan which is a critical need of the hour to counter increasing instances of interception.
The increased frequency of interceptions of rice consignments especially to EU countries, on account of non-compliance with international sanitary and phytosanitary standards, has jeopardized the export potential of agricultural products across the globe, particularly to EU.
Pakistan does not have an EU-accredited lab. Rice exports to EU and other markets reached 6.03 million metric ton generating US $4.086 billion in 2023-24 thus justifying investment in up-gradation of local public labs to meet international SPS standards.
As per the summary, the prime minister in multiple meetings directed MNFS&R (Ministry of National Food Security and Research) to restructure the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) to bring efficiency in the organization and enhance international compliance.
The prime minister has further directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to take immediate measures to transform DPP’s organizational and operational set-up, including recruitment of highly qualified and reputed HR and to ensure that a plan in this regard is furnished to the prime minister. On the basis of situational analysis and stakeholders consensus, a new, professional, corporate organization as an Authority is proposed to be set up through an Act of Parliament creating one national platform for improved SPS governance.
Under the plan, this set-up will merge three departments, including Department of Plant Protection, Animal Quarantine Department and, Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department for creating an independent, globally-competitive apex regulator named as National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority (NFSAPHRA).
A presentation in this regard was made to the prime minister on December 28, 2024. In light of directions of the PM, it has been decided that the existing two labs of DPP will be outsourced as they are non-functional.
A Service Level Agreement to this effect is being finalized with HEJ Research Institute, University of Karachi and DPP for establishment of joint reference and testing labs. HEJ is fully equipped with cutting edge technology to meet the specific needs of various industries for lab testing services. HEJ has the expertise but for upgradation to make the out-sourced labs into world-class laboratories Rs400 million are required in the current financial year.
Accordingly, a grant of Rs500 million for the upgradation of HEJ’s existing facilities from level 4 to level 5 will enable it to qualify for EU accreditation. The Ministry of National Food Security and Research has requested that approval of grant for establishment of NFSAPHRA may be made for the purposes that include a) Rs10 million for initial appointment of short-term consultants; b) Rs500 million for upgrading HEJ Labs Karachi to EU-accredited lab; c) Rs400 million for upgradation and management of outsourced DPP labs.