ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the agricultural trade landscape of South Asia to find trade barriers and solutions. Challenges to agricultural trade emanate principally from restrictive measures, inconsistent application of standards and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, high trade costs and procedural issues of certification and inspection. Similar trade barriers are also found to affect trade in agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and agricultural machinery. The chapter proposes greater technical cooperation for harmonisation of product standards, application of mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) and strengthening of South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO), followed by certain key recommendations for utilising available trade channels.
