UNISAME URGES MINCOM TO TAKE WISE DECISIONS IN LIGHT OF INDIAN BAN ON NON BASMATI RICE

INDIA PARTIALLY BANS EXPORT OF NON BASMATI RICE

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) invited the attention of the Ministry of Commerce (MINCOM) to partial ban on export of non basmati rice and wheat in India due to deficient water causing damages to crops and advised MINCOM to facilitate the Pakistani exporters to enable them regain lost markets of white and parboiled rice in basmati and non basmati rice by making the best of the opportunity.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the prices have increased in India of basmati and non basmati rice due to less rains and climatic changes causing losses to standing crops of rice, wheat and pulses and the Indian government has taken steps to ban export of non basmati rice, wheat and is in fact now planning to import some varieties of pulses to fill the demand supply gap.

He urged the MINCOM to allow private laboratory certification of basmati rice and remove the restriction of pre-shipment inspection (PSI) by Quality Review Committee (QRC) which is creating problems for the SME rice exporters and not allowing the shippers to regain lost markets due to increase in prices of Indian basmati and non basmati rice.

He invited the urgent and immediate attention of the caretaker government and the caretaker commerce and caretaker agriculture minister to take joint decision of allowing the rice exporters to manage their own brands and corresponding qualities of basmati and non basmati rice through their own quality control systems and ship grains according to the requirements of the buyers of basmati and non basmati varieties or blended rice as required by the buyers.

He informed the caretaker set up that there were no restrictions of government PSI in India and Indian shippers were exporting their own brands of basmati and non basmati rice and the respective blends without any interference from the government and they managed to increase their exports substantially whereas Pakistan’s basmati exports reduced by 60% due to uncalled for restrictions by MINCOM.

He said now that the Indian prices have increased due to short supplies and India has partially banned the export of non basmati rice to international humanitarian institutions and the prices of basmati rice has increased, it is the best opportunity to regain lost markets by taking positive steps to facilitate the basmati rice exporters by removing the PSI restriction by QRC and accepting private laboratory certification of buyers nominated company if required by the buyer.

The union has reiterated that PSI is the prerogative of the buyer, it is supposed to be by a third party and nominated by the buyer to protect his right and is a term of the contract between the buyer and seller if required by them to make both comfortable and is not the business of the government to interfere in the transaction.

The union has demanded of the caretaker set up to act wisely and not repeat the mistakes of the ex-government and let the exports of basmati decline.

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