India rice export to EU: Few cases of toxic substance Aflatoxin detected

The Indian minister said that as per trade data, the volume of rice exports from India to the EU has increased by 111 per cent between 2019 and 2023, while the volume of non-Basmati rice exports has increased by 500 per cent during the same period, which is higher than the ASEAN countries.

New Delhi: There have been a few detections of Aflatoxin, a toxic substance, in rice consignments exported from India to the European Union (EU), but the country has been complying with the requirements of the importing nations, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said that the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for 'Aflatoxin B1' for rice, has not been revised by the EU in the recent past.

"There have been a few detections of Aflatoxin...in rice consignments exported from India to the EU, however no detections have been reported for rice consignments exported by exporters of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, in the last five years," he said.

The minister said that as per trade data, the volume of rice exports from India to the EU has increased by 111 per cent between 2019 and 2023, while the volume of non-Basmati rice exports has increased by 500 per cent during the same period, which is higher than the ASEAN countries.

"India has been complying with the requirements of the importing countries, including that of the EU. However, in cases where the MRLs/ML of pesticides and contaminants have been lowered significantly, India has taken up with the concerned country and also the EU, through bilateral discussions," Prasada said.

In the absence of resolution through bilateral discussions, Specific Trade Concerns (STC) are then raised at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Further, to ensure that the rice growers comply with the MRLs set by EU and other importing nations, state agriculture departments and agriculture universities conduct capacity building and sensitisation programmes of the growers to adopt good agricultural practices and to ensure judicious use of agro-chemicals.

In a separate reply, he said the negotiations for Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with countries like Oman, Australia, the United Kingdom and the European Union are currently ongoing.

In another reply, the minister said during 2024-25 (April-February), India's Organic exports have demonstrated a growth of 38 per cent and are valued at Rs 4,966 crore as compared to Rs 4,007 crore during 2023-24.