Non-fumigated wheat threat looms large

Consignments with false certificates from Africa could pose health risks

Non-fumigated wheat that could harm people eating it could be entering India despite government rules to not allow such imports. The rules will be made tighter from March 31, but some importers have devised ways to bring in such wheat by producing fake fumigation documents.

Wheat imports to India must be fumigated with methyl bromide at the port of origin. If this is not done, consignments are fumigated at Indian ports. From March 31, fumigation will have to be done only at the port of origin.

Traders said some global companies, in collusion with importers, had forged certificates showing ships were fumigated after leaving the port of origin. This could lead to tonnes of non-fumigated wheat entering India among imports over 5.5 million tonnes in 2016-17, the highest in the last 10 years, they added.

A section of traders is planning to lodge formal complaints with the agriculture ministry.

Indian rules state that if agricultural imports are not fumigated at source then this can be done at Indian ports on paying a penalty of around of $375 per tonne against the normal fee of $75 per tonne.

To avoid paying this extra charge, trade sources said, some importers showed wheat consignments were fumigated en route after leaving their ports of origin, particularly from some African countries.

On tracking the vessels, it was found ships carrying wheat to India never reached those African countries and the fumigation document was doctored.

“A ship carrying 50,000 tonnes of wheat, paying a penalty of $300 per tonne, could amount to an extra expenditure of ~1.5 to 2 crore,” said the representative of a multinational grain trading company with a presence in India.

The new rules from March 31 could permit some relaxations, given that imports have already been contracted. In the interim, India could allow import of wheat from countries till the time it analyses pest risk control reports sent by them.

Australia, one of the world’s leading wheat exporters, allows fumigation at its ports. The Press Trust of India reported on Friday the government was considering relaxing rules related to fumigating pulses imported from Canada.