Over 101 companies registered to facilitate potato exports

ISLAMABAD, Jul 8 (APP):The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research was informed on Wednesday that, in compliance with its earlier directions, 101 companies had been registered with the Russian Federation by July 7, 2026, to facilitate potato exports following the earlier import restrictions.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Syed Tariq Hussain in the chair and discussed matters relating to agriculture sector development as well as promoting the exports of the agro-based commodities from the country, said a press release.

The committee directed the ministry to take immediate measures to export the existing surplus potato stock to the Russian market to ensure farmers receive fair and remunerative prices.

To improve national food security and institutional coordination, the committee recommended the establishment of a centralized inter-ministerial and inter-provincial coordination cell at the federal level to strengthen collaboration on food security, regulatory oversight, market monitoring, export facilitation and the prevention of cross-border smuggling.

The Secretary, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, informed the committee that the PC-I for the proposed initiative had been finalized and would be implemented within three months. The committee decided to review progress on the initiative after the stipulated period.

The committee also sought an explanation from the ministry regarding the exclusion of the joint project of PARC and Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, for the establishment of the Dates Research Center at Khairpur from the PSDP 2026–27.

The Chairman, PARC, was directed to submit a written response to the queries raised by the members regarding his visits to Khairpur and Thatta, the commitments made during those visits and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) executed on those occasions.

The committee also questioned the transparency of the recruitment process for the appointment of 80 scientists. The ministry informed the committee that the recruitment process had been cancelled.

The committee recommended that the food authorities of all provinces and Islamabad submit their recommendations to PSQCA within one week. Thereafter, PSQCA was directed to convene a meeting of its technical committee, with the participation of all stakeholders, to revise beverage standards in light of the findings of NIH, provincial food authorities, and internationally accepted scientific research regarding the health effects of artificial sweeteners and chemical additives, particularly on children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.

The committee further recommended that PSQCA issue comprehensive guidelines to provincial food authorities, make quarterly testing of beverages through PSQCA-recognized laboratories mandatory, and ensure effective monitoring and enforcement.

It also emphasized the need for clear product labelling identifying potential health risks, the prohibition of misleading fruit imagery on packaging, and the imposition of stringent penalties for violations. The committee further recommended increasing the minimum fruit pulp content in juice products to at least 10 percent.

Expressing serious concern over public health, the committee recommended that beverages containing artificial sweeteners should not be sold in schools and hospitals. It also sought details from provincial food authorities regarding fines imposed and samples collected during the previous six months under the existing quality standards.

The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the information provided and further recommended discouraging the sale of juices in plastic containers due to the potential health risks associated with such packaging.

During the meeting, the Vice President of the Multan Mango Growers Association informed the committee that the excessive consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was contributing to the increasing incidence of premature diabetes among children and adversely affecting pancreatic health.

The committee directed him to submit detailed recommendations for onward transmission to the ministry and recommended that he be invited to participate in the PSQCA Technical Committee meeting as a subject expert.

The Committee also deliberated on matters relating to mango exports and recommended that export schedules be determined according to variety and region, rather than through a uniform nationwide timeline, noting that mangoes in Sindh mature earlier than those in Punjab.

The committee directed the ministry to convene an inter-ministerial meeting on mango exports before its next meeting and submit a comprehensive report containing country-wise export data for the last five years, together with an assessment of export trends, existing challenges, and future prospects.

The meeting was attended by the Members of National Assembly including Waseem Qadir, Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, Nadeem Abbas, Abdul Qadir Khan, Ms. Musarrat Asif Khawaja, Nazir Ahmed Bhugio, Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, Syed Abrar Ali Shah, Zulfiqar Ali Behan, and Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Sheerazi.