The Senate Standing Committee on Food Security chaired by Syed Masroor Ahsan on Wednesday discussed the critical issues affecting Pakistan’s agriculture sector, including the non-payment of cotton cess, concerns over rice export quality, and the need for enhanced food safety regulations.

Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain, highlighted a concerning gap in the cotton cess collection, warning that non-payment has significantly hindered cotton research and production.

He said the decrease in cotton production from 15 million bales to 5-million bales is directly linked to the lack of funding for vital research.

Dr Yousuf Zafar, Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), shared that although Rs30 million in cess has been collected this year, the Cotton Cess Act remains weak in terms of enforcement.

He said APTMA has filed 65 petitions against the cess, but we are determined to recover Rs2.5 billion from them. He also mentioned that the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the cotton cess, and proposed amending the law to include penalties for non-payment.

The Chairman Committee and the Minister Tanveer Hussain both suggested that the committee should seek input from the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) before proceeding with new legislation, emphasizing the importance of collaborative solutions for the sector’s long-term sustainability.

The committee also addressed concerns surrounding the quality of rice exports, particularly following an incident in October 2024 when a consignment was halted in Italy due to substandard quality.

Director General Plant Protection, Waqas Salam, informed the committee that 107 out of 10,300 containers sent to the European Union were stopped. Following an internal inquiry, 17 officers from the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) were suspended, with 11 currently under arrest and two missing.

Secretary of Food Security, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, noted that while Pakistan adheres to the European Union’s safety standards for rice exports, problems often arise when rice is shipped before laboratory results are available.

He said we have tightened checks on all food items, including rice, and have prepared new legislation to improve food safety. The committee also delved into broader food safety concerns within Pakistan, including allegations of plastic rice being sold domestically and the presence of arsenic in locally produced rice.

Senator Danesh Kumar raised alarm about the potential health risks posed by the arsenic contamination, which has been linked to cancer.

Senator Aimal Wali Khan echoed concerns over the broader food safety issues, remarking that more milk is being sold than what is produced in the country. ‘What is being sold as food is often poison’, he added.

With no national food safety policy in place, the committee discussed the need for stronger regulations and a unified approach across provinces.

Secretary Zafar Ali Shah emphasized that while the 18th Constitutional Amendment shifted responsibility to provincial governments, the federal government was preparing new laws to address food quality at a national level.

The Chairman committee decided to establish a sub-committee to deliberate on and formulate a comprehensive national food security policy, draft new legislation aimed at ensuring food quality across the country.

‘The federal government will make the policy, which will be implemented by the provinces,’ Syed Zafar Ali Shah stated. The committee members, including Senator Aimal Wali Khan, called for urgent action.

‘The Senate should legislate to ensure the quality of food in Pakistan, as the provinces have failed to address this critical issue,’ he said.

While discussing export policy regarding Pakistani Mangoes to Iran, it was further elucidated that Pakistan had exported 53205 MT of fresh Mangos to Iran which has seen almost 56.4 pc upsurge as compared to the Mango export season 2023 where export volume was standing at 30016 MT.

The chairman committee recommended restoration of export of mangoes to Iran after quality test as per policy for all the mango exporters. The chairman committee gave ministry the responsibility to ensure quality test as per Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and expedite restoration.