The Centre has deferred by another six months its decision to impose mandatory inspection requirement for pesticide residue for export of basmati and non-basmati rice to European destinations, barring the European Union (EU) and five other countries, including the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
The certificate of inspection is already compulsory for exporting rice from India to all the EU countries, the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, which remains unchanged.
“….export of rice (basmati and non-basmati) to EU member states and other European Countries namely United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland only will require certificate of inspection from Export Inspection Council/Export Inspection Agency. Export to remaining European countries (except UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) will require Certificate of Inspection by EIC / EIA for export from 1 January, 2023,” according to a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
The fresh notification amends the earlier one issued in March 2022 in which the exemption from mandatory inspection certification was extended till July 1 2022.
The government has delayed its decision to impose mandatory inspection requirement for rice exports to a section of European countries partly due to disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.