Russia to ban Pakistani rice imports due to pest

Russia will ban rice imports from Pakistan from March 19 after finding a shipment infected with a dangerous pest, the animal and plant health watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said on Wednesday.

Pakistani rice was found to have Khapra beetle larvae, which are one of the most important stored product pests world-wide.

Young larvae feed on damaged seed, while older larvae are able to feed on whole grains. The Khapra beetle can also damage dry commodities of animal origin.

Large numbers of larval skins and setae may cause dermatitis and allergic reactions. In February, Russia threatened to ban imports of rice from one of its main suppliers, India.