The Russian government may soon lift ban on imports of rice, peanut and sesame seed from India. Indian exporters are waiting formal announcements in the next ten days or so, reliable sources said.
The Russian government banned on imports of these commodities with effect from May 1, 2007 due to the alleged detection of pesticides in the rice consignment and contained Aflatoxin B1 and metal foreign matter in the Indian peanut and sesame seed.
?We have been given verbal assurance by the government officials in this regard when we visited Moscow last week to discuss this issue. We have exchanged the information on pesticides level in the rice. As far as export of peanut and sesame seed is concerned, there is no serious problem,? Sanjiv Sawla, chairman-Indian Oilseeds & Produce Exporters Association (IOPEA) told FE.
Sawla who was part of the delegation led by SM Jharwal, advisor in the ministry of agriculture along with APEDA officials met the government officials in Moscow last Tuesday to sort out this issue.
?As a part of discussions, Russian agency-VPSS will visit India next month. They will inspect two-three laboratories and likely to visit a Delhi based laboratory – Shriram Institute,? he said.
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Russian agency-Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Services (VPSS) have signed a protocol on export of rice. The major points of protocol are: what kind of pesticides India is using in rice cultivation, inspection of Indian laboratories and to increase co-operation and support for promotion of trade between two countries.