RICE EXPORT RESUME AFTER KAMAL NATH TAKES UP ISSUE WITH RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT

Russia has lifted the temporary ban on rice exports from India and some other countries imposed earlier this year. This has been achieved after vigorous efforts made by Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry who took up the issue with his counterpart H.E. Mr. G.O. Gref, Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Russia. This was further followed up by the discussions held during the visit ofthe Indian delegation led by Shri G.K. Pillai, Commerce Secretary to Moscow on 9-10 July 2007 for the Joint Study Group meeting. A decision has now been taken by the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phyto-Sanitary Supervision (FSVPS) of Russia to resume issuing Quarantine Certificates for import of rice from India to the Russian Federation.

Temporary restrictions on import of rice into Russia from some countries including India were imposed by the Russian Government on the pretext that the exporters of rice to Russia were violating the Russian Sanitary-Epidemiological requirements, in particular, regarding pesticide residues. Russian team had visited several countries including India to inspect the testing facilities and the prevailing situations to ascertain the quality of exports of rice from various countries. The Russian team visited India in February 2007 and held deliberations with the officials of Department of Commerce, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation and APEDA. They had also visited the laboratory facilities for testing of export consignments, rice mills and National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).