LAHORE, March 23: Rice exports have crossed $500 million mark in January this year and are expected to increase to $1 billion by 2007. Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan Chairman Najaf Hussain Shah disclosed this while speaking at a meeting held in connection with the opening of the new office of the association here on Wednesday. He said that rice exports were expected to earn $700 million by the end of this year. He said that the association planned to develop a rice city near Gawadar. The Balochistan government had provided 300 acre land to the association for the purpose.
He said that the association was also trying to procure 400 acre land in Pipri for the establishment of the rice godowns for export.
Export Promotion Bureau Director General Haroon Rashid lauded the efforts of the association for increasing the rice exports. He said that the government would provide all possible facilities for further increase in exports.
APP adds: REAP Chairman said that Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda had brought down duty on Pakistan’s rice to 35 per cent from the previous level of 75 per cent.
He said that these countries had assured that this 35 per cent duty would also be waived in the near future.
The chairman, REAP expressed the hope that Pakistan would start rice exports to China after April and urged the exporters to maintain good milling and hygiene conditions.
He said that Pakistan would be the fourth country in the world getting access to China’s lucrative rice market.
He said that India would have to take several years to complete the formalities before entering Chinese market.
Referring to efforts for access to Latin America’s market, Najaf Hussain Shah said that President Musharraf had urged Mexican President for waiver of ban on Pakistani rice during his recent visit to Latin America.
“Mexican President had assured of waiving the ban besides establishing embassy in Islamabad in a period of six months,” REAP Chairman who had accompanied President during his visit to Mexico, said.
He said that use of state of the art milling machinery would help the exporters to get a grain with longer length as better machinery could keep the tip of the rice intact, keeping the length at 7.5 mm instead of 7.1 mm.
Talking about the need for the development of new rice varieties, the REAP Chairman suggested the upgradation of Rice Research Institute (RRI), Kala Shah Kaku to the university level.
Speaking on this occasion, Director General EPB, Lahore, Maj (rtd) Haroon Rashid said that the rice exporters should benefit from the incentives given by the government in the trade policy 2004-05 especially in the field of brand development, human resource development and consultancy.
He regretted that the exporters had not taken benefit from these facilities.
He said that rice exporters could benefit from the facility of freight subsidy by exporting rice to the non-traditional markets. Former Chairman REAP, Abdul Rahim Janoo also spoke on the occasion.
