MRL and Aflatoxin compliance: TDAP concludes Punjab rice seminar series in Sialkot

SIALKOT: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) successfully concluded its five-seminar series on “Management of Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) and Aflatoxin in Rice” on Wednesday at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The seminar addressed critical food safety challenges threatening Pakistan’s rice exports, particularly the rising number of EU interceptions due to pesticide residue violations and aflatoxin contamination.

Dr Mubarik Ahmed, Consultant (Agro) at TDAP, explained that MRL violations primarily stem from off-label pesticide applications and failure to observe Pre-Harvest Intervals. He emphasized that farmers must strictly adhere to PHI ranging from 3 to 40 days for registered insecticides and avoid banned persistent pesticides like acetamiprid and chlorpyrifos, which accounted for 28 and 18 interceptions respectively in 2024.

Dr. Ahmed stressed that only registered and labeled pesticides should be used, with proper dosage and application timing to ensure residues break down before harvest.

On aflatoxin management, Dr. Amer Rasul, Director General of Pest Warning & Quality Control of Pesticides, Lahore, outlined the conditions that promote contamination, including high humidity, warm temperatures between 30 to 40 degrees Celsius, and moisture content above 14 percent in stored grain.

Representatives from the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) advocated for technological interventions, particularly electronic sorting systems that can reduce aflatoxin levels by 40 to 80 percent by removing physically damaged and infected grains. They also emphasized the need for trained personnel to conduct standard sampling for aflatoxin and MRL analysis, and urged adoption of uniform sampling protocols across the supply chain.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025