Pesticide control and traceability will help reduce rice export rejections

During a panel discussion at the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC), experts from testing, inspection, and export sectors agreed that preventing contamination during production and complying with importing country requirements are critical to addressing supply rejection issues. According to Purvi Shah of SGS India, the industry should shift from reacting to test results to preventing them, ensuring food safety throughout the supply chain.

Mirza Alam of AHK Group presented analysis data on rice consignment rejections in European markets for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 financial years: pesticide residues accounted for 69 percent of rejections, while aflatoxins and other mycotoxins accounted for 23 percent. Anand Sharma of EAS noted the need to implement a traceability system from farm to port to identify sources of contamination and establish accountability. According to him, exporters need to link pesticide application records, crop history, supplier data, and laboratory tests.

Dr. Pankaj Jaimini of Eurofins Analytical Services India emphasized that the number of rejections can be reduced by helping farmers minimize risks, accelerating testing, and improving crop cultivars. He suggested using mobile laboratories near agricultural mandis. Avinash Maheshwari of GEO-CHEM LAB added that inspections should start before procurement and accompany the process at the stages of milling, sampling, and shipment, as well as account for buyer requirements alongside regulatory standards.

Isha Garg of VI Exports pointed to the financial pressure caused by repeated testing and certification procedures, which can reduce exporters' margins. Sandeep Patankar of SGS India highlighted the potential of QR code-based traceability. The participants emphasized the importance of joint actions by farmers, processors, exporters, and laboratories to maintain the reputation of Indian rice abroad.