The federal government has approved the establishment of the National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority to address deficiencies in agricultural export standards.
According to a news report, this move follows the European Union’s interception of 72 rice consignments from Pakistan in 2024 due to non-compliance with international quality standards.
The draft bill for the new authority was first submitted to the National Assembly in 2017 but lapsed after the assembly’s dissolution before the 2018 elections.
In 2024, the bill was revised and sent to the Law and Justice Division, which advised seeking fresh cabinet approval. On December 30, 2024, the cabinet approved the draft bill in principle under Rule 16(1)(a) of the Rules of Business, 1973.
Earlier, an inquiry into the EU interceptions revealed the incapacity of the existing quarantine control department under the Ministry of Food Security to meet global trade requirements. The investigation highlighted outdated structures and inadequate enforcement of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, prompting the proposal for a new regulatory authority.
In a recent meeting with rice exporters, Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain expressed concern over the EU’s warning to halt Pakistani rice exports. He emphasized the urgency of addressing quality issues to safeguard the country’s agricultural trade.
Previously, Pakistan faced similar export restrictions from Russia due to quality concerns, which took substantial time and effort to resolve.
The government acknowledged that weak institutional capacity and non-alignment with international SPS standards were major barriers to accessing global markets.
The cabinet was informed that enhancing agricultural exports is critical for the agro-economy’s growth. However, Pakistan’s compliance with WTO’s SPS regulatory framework remains inadequate.
A Public Sector Development Programme (2006-16) and a 2023 Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report identified gaps in enforcing global quality standards, further underscoring the need for an independent regulatory body.
The new regulatory framework aims to modernize quarantine controls, improve back-end supply chains, and ensure compliance with global SPS standards.
