Commodity Online
UNJAH (Gujarat): Russia’s liberal view may come as a godsend for Unjah’s sesame exporters as the Communist country has decided to allow seven more Indian laboratories to issue phytosanitary quality certificates for the commodity.

Indian exporters have been facing a major problem because Russia used to accept the certificates issued by Delhi-based Shriram Institute for Industrial Research only.

This used to cause immense hardships for the exporters as they had to send the commodity to Delhi for getting the needed certification.

Following Russia’s decision to allow seven more laboratories to issue the certificates, the country may witness a boom in export of sesame seeds.

Due to the single window certification, exports to Russia declined dramatically to 1,873 tonnes during April 2007-Feb 2008 as compared with 4,512 tonnes in the corresponding period last year

With transporting consignments physically to the institute from the major producing centres like Gujarat and Maharashtra for inspection and certification proving a Herculean task, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), among others, insisted Russian authorities to allow other laboratories to issue phytosanitary certificates.

The opening up of seven more laboratories is significant as Indian exporters were exploring other possible export destinations for sesame seed, which is in great demand abroad.

India’s total exports of sesame seed (mainly to China, Korea, Taiwan, Australia and Egypt) were 280,731 tonnes between April 2007- February 2008.