Govt Takes up Basmati Rice Export Row with EU.

India has asked the EU to ensure that non-trade barriers are nor created by private organizations in exports of Indian agricultural items to the European markets. “There were reports from exporters of Basmati rice that the importers in the EU have requested them to recall the consignments of Basmati rice, based on test reports from private laboratories declaring presence of pesticide residues in excess of the EU maximum residues levels,”minister of state for commerce and industry Jyothiraditya Scindia said.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the minister informed that the All-India Basmati Rice Exporters Association had issued legal notices to the concerned laboratories asking them to confirm that the test methods followed by them were in conformity with the EU’s guidelines.

“The department of commerce has also taken up the matter with SANCO (the directorate-general for health and consumer affairs) in EU to ensure that private organizations do not create non-tariff barriers for the export of agro-products from India,” Scindia added.

The minister, however, added that no official agency in EU had conveyed rejections on this basis and there were no significant rejection on account of containing excessive pesticide residue.”

Source : fnbnews.com