ISLAMABAD: Agriculture experts at a workshop here stressed the need for adopting Sanitary and Phytosaniary (PSP) controls to produce quality and hygienic food products that would not only guarantee protection of human health but would also help enhance agro-based exports from the country.
The experts were speaking at a daylong consultative workshop on food safety, organized by National Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (NAPHIS) and UNDO under EU Funded Trade Related Technical Assistance Programme-II (TRTA)-II.
A draft bill National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority Bill, to establish an integrated legal framework for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (PSP) controls, was also put before the experts on the occasion to seek their opinions before its finalization and provide them an opportunity to submit their written amendments to NAPHIS by 18 June 2012.
The purpose of the bill is to develop and enforce technical regulations regarding food safety, animal health and plant health by ensuring legal requirements and their enforcement.
The promotion of agriculture sector is the priority of the government, Minister of State for National Food Security, Mouzam Ali Jatoi said while speaking on the occasion, adding that it is the aim of the government to protect and safeguard human population from hazardous food.
He expected from the participants of the workshop that they would thoroughly debate on the bill and provide recommendation to help the government make it comprehensive.
He said Pakistan has been facing problems as less attention was paid towards PSP standards, which has not only resulted in creating hurdles in exports but also put at stake the credibility of the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Officer In-Charge, TRTA-II UNIDO said that adoption of SPS measures would help enhance the exports of the country as has been proved by the exports of rices, fish and kinnow where Pakistan adopted world standards.
He said Pakistan has been facing problems in exporting its products which could be overcome by adopting SPS measures.
"We need to produced what is acceptable and for this we have to comply with the international standards," remarked Director General NAPHIS, Malik Zahoor Ahmad while delivering keynote address on the occasion.
He said for ensuring SPS measures, there was need for constituting a regulatory authority that would help the country enhance produce quality food for human consumption and thereby enhance its agro-based exports.
In his welcome address, Secretary Ministry of National Food Security and Reasearch, Shafqat Hussain Haghami expressed the hope that the participants of the workshop would provided feedback to make the draft bill more comprehensive and result-oriented.
Meanwhile, on the occasion, agriculture experts gave detailed presentations on the outline structure, functions and organization of the proposed SPS management system and on the draft bill.
Some experts also deliberated upon the role of Ministry of National Food Security and Research in SPS system and highlighted the importance of SPS management and controls in relation to country's agro-based exports.
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