Govt to stop use of methyl bromide for rice fumigation

The government is immediately halting the use of methyl bromide for the fumigation of rice consignments in Pakistan, enabling the importing countries to carry out the procedure themselves in line with international standards. The decision came at a meeting held by the ministry of national food security and research on Monday to address the issue of interceptions in the export of Pakistani rice to Europe. The meeting, chaired by Secretary Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, was attended by all stakeholders including the representatives of provinces, private companies and multinational corporations. The policy decision is expected to directly benefit Pakistani rice exporters as fumigation costs will be eliminated, which will lower the export price of the grain, making the product more competitive in global markets, said a ministry press release.