Kathmandu: WFP Representative and Country Director Robert Kasca Robert Kasca thanks to the Nepal Govt for the support in resolving delays with the import clearance of the WFP imported rice.
After a recent re-sampling and re-testing of the WFP imported rice, by the Customs Office Nepalgunj in collaboration with the Food Export Import Quality Certification Office at the Nepalgunj border crossing point, the Nepal office of the World Food Programme received clearance from the Customs to import 54
metric tonnes of rice into the country. WFP would like to thank the government of Nepal for their support and cooperation in resolving this
importation issue.
Earlier, in January this year -during an initial visual inspection of WFP food cargo in Nepalgunj, two bags out of a total of 1,080 bags (54 metric tonnes), were found discoloured and the rice inside damaged by seawater during shipping.
Further visual inspection showed that the remainder of the shipment was undamaged, therefore WFP immediately requested the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control to take samples of the rice and conduct a laboratory test in line with the Government of Nepal’s standard procedures and regulations, as spelled out in the Customs Act, 2007.
In the meantime, the damaged bags were separated from the rest of the shipment and the remaining rice was stored in a suitable storage area within the premises of the Customs Office. The two damaged rice bags will now be destroyed by the Customs Office in Nepalgunj as per the government protocol.
Providing safe, healthy, and nutritious food to the people and communities we serve is the utmost priority at WFP. We take food safety and quality extremely seriously; with checks at each step along the supply chain before food is distributed to our beneficiaries. In the rare cases when food is suspected to
not meet standards, WFP takes immediate action, by removing and destroying the sub-standard food product and finding substitutes to ensure that beneficiary assistance remains uninterrupted.
We are committed to strictly adhere to international food standards and the regulations of the Government of Nepal when procuring, importing and distributing food in Nepal.