The PRA was initiated by the need to review the national pest lists and develop strategies for reducing Phytosanitary trade barriers in the East African region as well as develop a harmonized regional pest list for rice with a view to developing phytosanitary import conditions for rice that will be applied within the EAC. The objectives of the Regional Pest Risk Analysis were to review national pest lists for rice; develop a harmonized regional pest list, develop a draft regional Pest Risk Analysis (PRA), develop National Quarantine Pest List; and develop Phytosanitary import conditions for rice to be applied within the EAC. 

A list of pests of phytosanitary importance associated with rice (both processed and unprocessed) in East Africa was developed based on the pest information from the East African NPPOs (except Republic of South Sudan) as well as from the search of both print and electronic sources of information, in accordance with ISPM No. 11 and 21. This list contains 111 pests (2 arachinids, 61 insects, 15 nematodes, 24 fungi, 6 bacteria and 3 viruses). Out of this, Fourteen (14) pests (5 insects, 1 nematode, 4 fungi, 3 bacteria and 1 virus) namely: Corcyra cephalonica, Rhyzopertha dominica, Trogoderma granarium, Sitotroga cerealella, Tribolium confusum, Aphelenchoides besseyi, Cochliobolus sativus, Sclerophthora macrospora, , Magnaporthe grisea, Alternaria padwickii, Pseudomonas fuscovaginae, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) were identified to be of quarantine importance. Based on the assessments the import conditions for trade facilitation within the region were developed for seed rice, unprocessed rice or partially processed and milled/polished rice.