India discussing rice exports issue with EU.

The European Commission has brought down the maximum residue limit (MRL) level for fungicide Tricyclazole in basmati rice to 0.01 mg per kg from next year. ndia is discussing with the European Union the concerns of domestic rice exporters that tightening norms on pesticide use will affect their shipments to the region. Some European countries also use this pesticide. Rice exporters body AIREA has stated that tough norms by the European Commission will hit the exports badly as trade worth over Rs 1,700 crore could shift to Pakistan. AIREA has said that the EU has virtually imposed a ban on import of Indian basmati rice by reducing 100-fold the import tolerance level of Tricyclazole and it is not possible to bring down the pesticide level all of a sudden to nearly zero. Two aromatic basmati rice varieties- PB1 and 1401 are exported the most to the EU. The shipments of these varieties with Tricyclazole MRL at 0.03 mg per kg were accepted so far from India. At least two crop cycles are required to effect the desired change.