ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: Islamabad has a brilliant chance of influencing Moscow to announce lifting of ban on its rice in February when a team from the Russia will visit Pakistan, a source told Dawn on Wednesday.

A delegation from the Russia’s federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) will visit Pakistan in February to discuss lifting of ban on import of Pakistani rice.

Meetings between the delegates of two countries may result in restarting of rice export to Russian markets, sources in the federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock told Dawn.

Last month only did Russia announce lifting of ban on import of Pakistani citrus fruit and further hinted at re-opening market for mango, and eventually rice.

A Minfal official likely to negotiate with the Russian VPSS team said Pakistan had met all its demands regarding quality, packing and sanitary issues as the team during its visit in the mid of this year had handed over a list to Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.

He said Minfal had already sent a reply to Russian authorities with an assurance to fully cooperate with their team and take utmost care in future shipments adding all such concerns, mostly on health ground had been removed.

Russia used to import 400,000 to 500,000 tons of rice every year until it imposed a tariff of 70 euros ($92.32) a ton in April 2005 which shrank its rice import to 0.15-0.2 million tons soon after. Before the end of last year, Russia had stopped all rice imports on health grounds but promised to resume it later but under stricter control and through reduced number of ports.

India is main rice supplier to Russia followed by China, Vietnam and Thailand. But, there are also chances for Pakistan to improve the quantity of its exports as well if it meets Russian requirements.

If the ban is lifted, Pakistani exporters would be able to dispatch 20,000 tons of rice to Russia.