Over 5,000 tons of Pakistani long grain rice is awaiting clearance at a Zimbabwean port for over a week due to a delay in a minor amendment needed in the certificate issued by the Pakistani Department of Plant Protection ((DPP) The Zimbabwe authorities refused to accept the Phytosanitary Certificate, issued by DPP, and hence they are not releasing the consignments.
The exporters of the said consignments and the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) contacted the DPP several times during this period to get the amended certificate, as per the requirement of the Zimbabwean authorities, but no response was received, sources told Business Recorder here on Thursday. Through a letter, REAP Chairman Chaudhry Samee Ullah Naeem approached the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) to draw the attention of Federal Secretary Fazal Abbas Mekan towards the urgency of the situation.
The letter maintained that rice exports to Zimbabwe have increased during last six months because of aggressive marketing by the Association's members. However, at the same time the exporters are facing some issues. "Just in the recent case, the Phytosanitary certificate issued by the DPP has been rejected by the DPP Zimbabwe and the shipments are lying at the port without issuance of import permit causing levy of heavy demurrage to the exporters," the letter added.
Samee further revealed that the DPP certificate needs an amendment that states that the grain is free from: Larger Grain Borer (Prostephanus Truncatus), Angoumois Mouth (Sitotroga Cerealella), Khapra Beetle (Trogoderma Granarium), Lesser Grain Borer (Rhizopertha Dorminica), Grain Weevils (Sitophil Granaries), Red Floor Beetle (Tribolium Castaneum) and Saw Toothed Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus Surinamensis). Moreover, the grain has been fumigated through Phsophine (Mention Dose) for minimum period of 120 hours, and parent crop was field inspected during active growth and found free of Tilletia Indica. The seed and weeds have also been laboratory tested. And, the grain is free from Sitorogacereallella and Plodiainterpunctella.
REAP Chairman requested the Federal Secretary to intervene and direct the DPP Pakistan to write an email to the Zimbabwe DPP with "corrigendum against Phytosanitaries issued adding above lines" so the consignments should be released. He also said that the DPP Karachi office should be directed to write the above mentioned statement on all shipments destined to Zimbabwe.
He said that the exporters are working on thin margin to get themselves registered in unconventional markets but such hurdles are reducing their margins and in some cases even causing them heavy financial loss.
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