ISLAMABAD, April 9: The government has decided to revive the system of grading of agricultural and livestock products to enhance the country’s credibility as an exporter of quality products and meet requirements of the World Trade Organisation. Sources told Dawn on Sunday that agricultural products grading had been halted under a cabinet decision as part of the Trade Policy of 2000.

The cabinet had ordered redesigning of the system under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marketing) Act.

However, the recommendations finalised by a special cabinet committee were not fully reflected in the trade policies of 2004-5 and 2005-6. The ministries of commerce and food and agriculture and the Export Promotion Bureau had been discussing the revival of standards and grading system of agricultural products for two years and were hoping to restore it in the next year’s trade policy, the sources said.

The grades and standards of quality will be provided to commercial attaches of Pakistan’s embassies abroad for wide coverage.

They will also be provided to various agricultural inspection agencies and importers so that they can enter into contracts for supply of goods on their basis.