New authority established to oversee agri-trade infrastructure

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research has merged two key departments — the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) and the Animal Quarantine Department (AQD) — to form the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA), aimed at modernising Pakistan’s agricultural trade infrastructure in line with global phytosanitary and food safety standards. The DPP was originally established under the International Plant Protection Convention, while AQD was tasked with preventing the entry of foreign animal diseases. Their integration into NAFSA is intended to create a modern, scientific, and data-driven body capable of ensuring compliance with Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) requirements while also facilitating access to quality agricultural inputs to promote surplus production and national food security.