The Hindu Business Line : EU bans red chillies import from Pak: Report

ISLAMABAD: The European Union has imposed a ban on the import of red chillies from Pakistan as the commodity has been found infected with fungal disease Aflatoxin that produces one of the worst form of cancer in human beings, a news report has said.

A spokesperson for Agribusiness Development and Diversification Project's Implementation Office (PIO) in Pakistan's Sindh province was quoted as saying by the Business Recorder financial daily that exports of millions of tonnes of chillies had stopped du e to a post-harvest fungal disease Aflatoxin.

The report said that due to the existence of Aflatoxin, which is one of the worst cancer producer in human beings, export of red chillies from Pakistan has been banned to the European countries.

Chilli exporters, growers and processors have now proposed a visit to India, likely to take place in February, to educate themselves on the processing and drying system used in the neighbouring country so that it could be appropriately adopted in Pakista n to boost its export and meet the WTO conditionalities and international standards, the report said.

The chilli growers have also proposed the possible import of machinery and technology from India if it could upgrade the Pakistani technology used in processing and drying of the commodity. - PTI

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