ISLAMABAD, Sept 7: Russia turned down 7,000 tons of Pakistani rice ready for shipment at the Port of England last month, just a week after a high-level delegation of Pakistani rice exporters and the federal food ministry visited Moscow to influence the Russian Phytosanitary watchdog to lift ban on import of Pakistani rice.

The Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Services (VPSS) had imposed a ban on import of rice from India, Pakistan and Vietnam in December 2006. At present these countries are lobbying for resuming their exports to Russia.

In what appears to be a major disappointment for Pakistani diplomatic efforts made over the last six months, Russia rather opted to pack Indian rice in the same vessel in which Pakistani rice was supposed to be shipped, a leading rice exporter told Dawn on Friday.

Rice from Pakistan was never exported to Russia directly but through England and with the help some Middle East-based exporters which deprives Pakistani exporters an opportunity of lobbying in Russia to protect their interests.

The consignment of rice which was rejected by Russia at the end of August had been sold to General Produce, a British company, by a Pakistani exporter. The rice was supposed to be picked up by Russia.

“But at the end, Russia decided to pack the same ship with the Indian rice, which was supposed to deliver 7,000 tons of Pakistani rice,” said a source, requesting not to be named.

A Pakistani delegation, comprising officials of the federal ministry of food, agriculture and livestock (Minfal) and Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), had visited Moscow on Aug 12 to satisfy the demands of the VPSS officials who had visited Pakistan in the end of April and inspected quality of Pakistani exportable rice, its packing and the sanitary and phytosanitary standards.

Minfal had termed the visit of the Pakistani delegation a success. The ministry has also prepared a report which answers four major questions raised by the VPSS (phytosanitary, fumigation and storage process) for exportable rice in the country.

A list of names of pesticides used by farmers on rice crop and their residual impacts is also included in the report ready to be sent to Russia.

Sources said the major hurdle in the way of Pakistani export is lack of implementation of sanitary and pythosanitary legislations in the country.

But above all, absence of a Pakistani lobby has made it impossible for Pakistan to press Russian policymakers to decide in its favour at critical times or whenever needed.

In December last, when Russia imposed ban on India and Pakistan, the neighbouring country was able to stop Russia from turning down its ships loaded with rice.

The Indian embassy in Moscow played a major role in this success.

Contrary to this, a ship carrying 5,600 tons of Pakistani rice was turned down which returned and later had to discharge rice in Sri Lanka despite the fact that the Pakistani variety of irri-6 was five per cent more polished than the Indian rice and of reasonably better quality.Despite facing hurdles in exploring the Russian marker, Minfal is doing very little to ameliorate the situation, said a source.

The ministry has, so far, done little to ensure that rice is not exported without Aflatoxin certificate.

Most exporters bypass this process which is tiresome and as the issuance of the certificate by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research takes one-and-a-half months.