LAHORE: Rice exporters have demanded a law for making pesticide companies comply with world standards for averting chemical residue issues in crops as National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf assures support for all ‘bread-winning’ sectors.

Rice Exporters Associa­tion Chairman Ali Hussam Asghar demanded at an export trophy award ceremony on Wednesday the parliament enact a law to regulate the pesticide companies, as poor formulation of insecticides and weedicides were leading to complaints of chemical residue in rice and other crops.

He also urged the NA speaker to invite the REAP chairman to National Assembly’s standing committees on commerce, agriculture and food so that effective proposals for ‘Grow More to Export More’ policies could be presented to the lawmakers.

“If agriculture-friendly policies are framed, rice exports may double and cross the $5 billion mark within two years.”

He also demanded industry status for rice exports, which earned $2.56bn in the last financial year, while industries earning one-fifth of this amount were already enjoying the status.

Mr Ashraf promised parliamentary support for all the bread-winning sectors. He assured the rice exporters that they would be consulted in the law-making proposed by them.

He said that the country was facing a negative impact of climate change in the form of cloud bursts and floods while the national currency was under pressure due to this and other factors but hoped that the country and its people would show resilience and would overcome this difficult time like they had successfully countered terrorism and extremism.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2022