New Delhi, Oct. 24 -- Indian rice exporters need to strengthen farm-level pesticide management, traceability and testing across the supply chain to reduce shipment rejections in international markets, industry participants said at the Bharat International Rice Conference 2026, warning that failures can damage exporters' profitability and India's reputation.

During a panel discussion on rice export quality and certification at the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC), representatives of testing laboratories, inspection agencies and exporters agreed that preventing contamination at the source and ensuring compliance with destination-specific requirements were essential to addressing the problem.

"Industry must move from a model of ...