Credible Post Report:
KARACHI, October 24: The federal government has established the National AgriTrade Food Safety Regulatory Authority (NAFSA) to strengthen agricultural research, improve food safety standards and enhance Pakistan’s export potential, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain said on Friday.
He said the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) would cease to exist from October 31, with NAFSA taking over its functions. The initiative, he added, reflected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision of building stronger institutions to expand export opportunities for Pakistani agricultural products.
The minister expressed these views while inaugurating the Central Plant Quarantine Laboratory (CPQL) at the DPP in Malir Halt, Karachi.
Addressing the media, he said the state-of-the-art laboratory would strengthen testing capabilities, safeguard plant health and help Pakistani agricultural products meet international standards. Protecting farmers’ interests, he said, remained the government’s foremost priority.
Highlighting progress in plant quarantine, Rana Tanveer said interceptions had declined from 376 to 23. He expressed confidence that improved laboratory facilities and technical capacity would further reduce such interceptions.
He said NAFSA would be able to recruit and train qualified personnel to operate the CPQL and the Federal Pesticides Testing and Reference Laboratory (FPTRL) efficiently.
Discussing wheat and sugar markets, the minister stressed coordination among federal and provincial governments, farmers and industry stakeholders. He said policy decisions would be based on reliable data and the broader interests of the agricultural economy.
Regarding sugar exports, he said Pakistan had a surplus that could benefit farmers, but accurate data on domestic demand was essential before decisions were taken on imports or exports.
Later, Director General of the DPP Yasin Murtaza talked with the media and said that CPQL was equipped with modern facilities designed to meet international standards. He described the laboratory as a significant step towards strengthening agricultural research, plant protection and trade facilitation.
He also highlighted an agreement with the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) and the H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry at the University of Karachi to strengthen cooperation in food security and research. The collaboration would provide access to commercial pesticide-residue testing facilities, supporting agricultural quality assurance and export compliance.
Representatives of business and trade bodies attended the inauguration, including Aslam Pokhali from Fruits and Vegetables Association; Ilyas from Pakistan Fruits and Vegetables Association; Saleem Saleh of the All Pakistan Timber Traders Association; Mohammed Raza of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan and former KCCI Vice-president; Shakil Ashfaq and Abdul Rasheed Janmohammed from APSEA; and Muhammad Sharjil Goplani, Mushtaq Vali Muhammad and Moiz A. Kakar from All Pakistan Timber Traders Association.
Dr Nayab Kanwal, senior technical expert at the CPQL and FPTRL, DPP officials and researchers from the ICCBS and H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry also attended the briefing and inauguration ceremony.
