Export of oilmeals to Turkey stopped due to procedural problems

KOLKATA: Last year, Turkey had imported about 140,000 tonnes of oilmeals from India. However, during the current year, export has not taken place due to some procedural problem regarding declaration of cargo whether it is GMO or Non-GMO.

In case of GMO cargo, it is allowed to be discharged immediately on berthing and stored in bonded warehouse while testing, is done, however, for Non-GMO cargo, samples are drawn for analysis but cargo is neither allowed to be discharged nor allowed to be kept in bonded warehouse until the analysis is carried out and confirmed. This keeps the ship of Non-GMO cargo waiting in berth for 5-6 days incurring heavy demurrage and therebyincreasing its landed cost.

Also, if the cargo is declared as Non-GMO e.g. in case of Indian soybean meal or rapeseed meal but for any reason traces of GMO found in the material, then the cargo is rejected; as we have seen in recent shipments of rapeseed meal from India rejected on ground of traces of GMO.

Turkey follows zero tolerance limit of GMO substance in Non-GMO material, although, it allows import of GMO material without any restriction. It is desirable to have the tolerance limit of GMO substance in Non- GMO material as is followed in E.U which allows 0.9% tolerance limit of GMO substance to avoid rejection and this would facilitate smooth trade.

The Solvent Extractors' Association has taken up this issue during the its recent s visit to Turkey and has also requested Indian Embassy, Ankara, to take up this issue with the Turkish government to resolve the issue.