Pakistan has become the lowest-risk country for food safety standards during the fiscal year 2023-24 after its rice exports captured 25 percent of the European market over India’s 16 percent.
This was disclosed during a meeting between the newly elected Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Malik Faisal Jahangir and Commerce Minister Jam Kamal.
Jahangir said Pakistani products flagged just 74 rapid alerts for pesticides and other concerns in its rice exports compared to 264 against India. He emphasized that Pakistan remains one of the least risky countries, while others including Turkiye, Spain, and the UK flagged more issues.
Still, due to lower prices, there are concerns that Pakistan may struggle to match the export value achieved in the previous year. The commerce minister said rice is second only to cotton in terms of export revenue, and the government aims to boost rice exports from $4 billion to $6-7 billion in the coming years.
Kamal also mentioned diplomatic efforts as part of the government’s plan to strengthen trade ties with foreign players and promote rice exports.
