By enforcing rules, digitizing oversight, and punishing violations, the Ministry of National Food Security & Research (MNFSR) is redefining transparency in Pakistan’s food and agriculture governance.
For decades, the sector has suffered not from a lack of policies, but from weak enforcement, discretionary decision-making, and opaque systems that allowed malpractice to flourish. In 2025, MNFSR set out to reverse this legacy through a coordinated, rules-based reform drive across plant protection, exports, wheat, seed, and sugar—aimed squarely at one objective: eradicating corruption by eliminating discretion and enforcing accountability. Rather than isolated actions, the Ministry’s initiatives reflect a systemic shift. The emphasis is no longer on ad hoc decisions or informal influence, but on verifiable data, audits, monitoring, and zero-tolerance enforcement—so the public interest is protected and the space for manipulation steadily shrinks.
MNFSR has automated 22 of 31 Registrations, Licenses, Certificates, and Other permits (RLCOs) relevant to six of its attached departments AQD, DPP, PBRR, NVL, PTB, and FSC&RD), highlighting the significant steps taken to curb corruption.
This shift is most visible in the reform of the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), an institution central to trade facilitation, biosecurity, and export credibility. Recognizing that weak institutional controls create room for both malpractice and mistrust, MNFSR initiated modernization through upgraded testing laboratories, operational reforms, and an institutional setup aligned with international phytosanitary standards. The significance of this modernization is not merely technical; it is anti-corruption by design. When procedures are standardized and traceable, arbitrary handling and undocumented “exceptions” become harder to justify, and compliance becomes the rule rather than a negotiable outcome.
Building on this foundation, MNFSR introduced a major scientific regulatory improvement by revising import conditions related to Methyl Bromide (MB). Earlier, unjustified or excessive MB requirements could burden legitimate trade and create openings for exploitation. By revising conditions on scientific grounds, the Ministry reduced unnecessary use of MB and moved regulation toward rational, sustainable compliance. The reform also delivered a direct benefit to the public and industry: importers began saving Rs. 30,000–40,000 per container, especially in cotton, grains, pulses, and lentils. This is how transparency becomes tangible—when rules are clear and consistent, the “hidden costs” of corruption, paid through delays and informal dealings, start to disappear.
Yet transparent rules matter only when violations face immediate and visible consequences. That is why the DPP reform drive did not stop at policy improvements; it was reinforced through enforcement and internal accountability. A case involving suspicious MB import practices was detected through internal scrutiny and verified through third-party checks and document cross-verification. The company’s license was suspended, and in coordination with Pakistan Customs, four shipments worth about $1 million were intercepted at port before clearance. Just as importantly, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against those found responsible within the system, underlining that accountability is not reserved for private actors alone. This combination—modernized systems, scientific regulation, and credible enforcement—signals a new institutional ethic: public trust is protected not through statements, but through documented, impartial action.
The same logic of credibility-through-enforcement extends naturally from import regulation to export governance, where Pakistan’s reputation is tested on the world stage. In international agro-trade, SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) compliance is not a bureaucratic ritual; it is the safeguard of food safety, public health, and biosecurity, and the gateway to market access. A single lapse can trigger tougher checks, reputational damage, or restrictions that punish thousands of compliant exporters and farmers for the misconduct of a few. Understanding this, MNFSR adopted a clear policy message—zero tolerance for SPS violators—because protecting exports requires confronting malpractice before it crosses borders and becomes a national liability.
To translate policy into operational reality, DPP implemented mango season 2025 reforms designed to reduce discretion, prevent manipulation, and create an audit trail that can withstand scrutiny. Staff were deployed at exit points to ensure checks at the final dispatch stage, while reputed pre-shipment inspection firms were engaged to add independent verification and reduce the risk of collusion. CCTV cameras were installed to deter wrongdoing and preserve evidence, and backend monitoring strengthened supervisory oversight to detect irregular approvals or suspicious patterns. The reforms also tightened traceability: mandatory punching of vehicle numbers on phytosanitary certificates linked documents to actual transport, while photographic proof of inspection activity reduced the possibility of “paper-only” clearances. Staff reshuffling further disrupted entrenched influence networks. Each measure, on its own, strengthens procedure; together, they create transparency that is measurable and enforceable.
The real test of reform is whether it stops wrongdoing in real-time—and this system did. On 25 May 2025, at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, DPP intercepted attempted violations at a critical export point. In joint action with Pakistan Customs, three mango consignments (6.2 metric tons, valued at USD 25,649) destined for Norway were stopped after exporters attempted to bypass key requirements, including Hot Water Treatment, registered orchard traceability, pesticide residue analysis, and correct HS code declaration. Customs confiscated the consignments and imposed penalties, while DPP restrained the violators from future exports for a specified period. This was more than a single enforcement episode; it was a public signal that Pakistan’s certification system cannot be purchased, bypassed, or treated as a formality. The outcome is a credibility marker: in 2025, around 120,000 metric tons of mangoes were exported without any rejection or interception reported, reinforcing that strict compliance protects trade continuity and farmers’ livelihoods.
From exports, the reform drive connects directly to wheat governance—another domain where discretion has historically encouraged rent-seeking, misinformation, and market instability. Here too, MNFSR chose to fight corruption not with slogans, but with procedure, documentation, and routine reporting. Complaints about delays at inter-provincial check posts were addressed through high-level federal–provincial coordination, and SOPs and verified convoy notes were reinforced as the basis for movement approvals. Instructions were clear: vehicles with complete documentation must be cleared quickly, while incomplete cases must be returned for correction. This is a simple rule with deep impact because it removes the “grey zone” where arbitrary stoppages and informal payments typically thrive.
To ensure consistent application on the ground, the Ministry strengthened monitoring through a high-level supervisory committee chaired by the Secretary MNFSR, reviewing seed movement every Wednesday. FSC&RD officers were deputed at key check posts to support timely verification and prevent unnecessary stoppages. Provinces were directed to share daily movement data, while MNFSR committed to weekly progress reviews—turning oversight into a continuous reporting system rather than an occasional intervention. This structure also helped counter misinformation during the critical Rabi window: provinces shared sowing progress and distribution updates regularly, and FSC&RD validated reports, reducing panic, speculation, and the leverage of those who profit from uncertainty.
This documented oversight was also essential for tackling a related corruption risk: fake seed and malpractice disguised within legitimate movement. Concerns that counterfeit seed consignments were being transported under the guise of wheat seed or flour prompted MNFSR to direct strict screening and continued joint inspections, ensuring enforcement reaches the actual consignments, not just the paperwork. Alongside this, the Ministry acknowledged concerns about differences in flour price data and committed to developing a transparent, verifiable pricing mechanism across provinces. Storage planning was reviewed through mapping of facilities to support accountable decisions, while the government reaffirmed that PASCO reserves would not be released into the open market and would remain for emergencies—reducing the likelihood of arbitrary interventions that can fuel speculation and allegations of favoritism.
The logic of protecting farmers through transparency becomes even more direct in the seed sector, where fake and substandard seed inflicts immediate losses and enables illegal supply chains to thrive. MNFSR responded through a blend of stock visibility, strict enforcement, and regulatory restructuring. A high-level review assessed certified rice and cotton seed stocks to ensure availability without manipulation, hoarding, or artificial shortages. Cotton seed availability was presented transparently—requirement 53,796 metric tons and availability over 50,000 metric tons—reducing the conditions that trigger panic buying and black marketing. At the same time, the Ministry adopted zero tolerance enforcement against uncertified and fake seed, culminating in the banning of 392 companies involved in such practices. This decisive step aimed to dismantle fraudulent networks and restore trust in regulated seed markets.
To ensure enforcement is sustained rather than episodic, MNFSR strengthened the regulatory system by establishing the National Seed Development Authority to monitor quality and enforce stringent regulations. Performance-based licensing further closed loopholes: companies are registered for five years, and extensions are granted only on performance and compliance, reducing rent-seeking by tying business continuity to measurable standards rather than informal influence. The Ministry also raised alarm over illegal seed smuggling and open online advertising and indicated coordination with law enforcement agencies to take strict action—targeting channels that undermine regulated markets and often survive through corruption and facilitation.
From seed governance, the reform narrative extends naturally to the sugar sector, where opacity has often enabled hoarding, profiteering, and non-compliance to distort prices and erode public confidence. Here, MNFSR’s approach has been to replace ambiguity with verifiable information and visible oversight—so supply and trade decisions are anchored in facts that can be checked rather than rumors that can be exploited. Independent cost review and clearer pricing logic were emphasized to reduce the space for inflated claims and backdoor price-setting, while stronger on-ground monitoring and coordinated enforcement against hoarding and manipulation were pursued to make artificial scarcity harder to create and harder to profit from. By improving how decisions are monitored and communicated, the Ministry aimed to cut off the room where cartels and informal influence typically operate.
Taken together, these initiatives show a coherent reform philosophy: corruption is not defeated only by catching individuals; it is defeated by redesigning systems so malpractice becomes difficult to attempt and easy to detect. By strengthening institutions, aligning procedures with international standards, relying on verifiable data, introducing independent oversight, creating audit trails through documentation and technology, and coordinating enforcement with agencies such as Customs and FBR, MNFSR has begun closing the loopholes through which corruption historically entered Pakistan’s food and agriculture governance. The message is practical and reassuring: honest farmers should not be punished by fake seed, consumers should not be held hostage by hoarding, exporters should not suffer because of a few violators, and public institutions should not be vulnerable to influence. When governance becomes transparent, documented, and enforceable, public trust is rebuilt—and corruption finds fewer places to hide.
