KARACHI, Nov 14: Rice exporters are eyeing the target of $2.5 billion under their ‘Rice Vision 2010’ for which efforts are under way to enhance and improve supply side of the produce by evolving new seed varieties and also going into further value addition.
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan chairman Haji Abdul Majid addressing a press conference at REAP House here on Monday said that the rice export fetched around $937 million last year compared with $600 million a year ago, showing an increase of over 56 per cent.
He said that though there was no increase in quantity but value addition helped the country to fetch better prices. “The situation has reached saturation point and there is a greater need for higher production which can only be done by using high-yielding seeds and bringing more land under rice cultivation.”
Majid urged the government to chalk out a rice policy and announce a scheme for rice growers for increasing production of the commodity as was announced for cotton and wheat farmers.
“If the government comes up with some support for rice growers, the REAP will also contribute by way of evolving improved seed varieties by assisting research institutes.” Presently, he said that most of such institutes were not working and lacked enthusiasm and if the country wanted to enhance its rice exports it would have to improve its supply side.
He said that the growers would have to change their centuries old techniques and adopt modern and efficient methods of paddy cultivation but for that they would be needing government and private sector assistance as they could not alone do this task.
He said that after opening of Quality Review Committee (QRC) offices at Quetta, the rice export increased manifold as in the past around 40,000 to 50,000 tons were exported through official channels. “Now around 250,000 tons are exported and the entire quantity is cleared by the QRC.”
Similarly, he said a handsome quantity of rice in the past from Peshawar used to cross Afghan border without any official documentations but now it came under documented exports and increased to 200,000 tons.
Dispelling the impression that the QRC was working against the interest of rice exporters, the REAP chairman said that in the past there were lots of complains from buyers, particularly, Middle East with regard to quality of basmati rice.
However, since the QRC began its operations not a single complain from any buyer, including Saudi Arabia which banned rice imports from Pakistan, had been received, he added.
Presently, about 98 per cent rice exporters avail QRC services for Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI).
There is strong move to make REAP membership from mandatory to voluntary which would mean that any non-member could not avail the services of REAP in case of problem with any government department. He disclosed that the association had over 1,000 members but all did not avail QRC services as some even took the services of TCP for PSI.
“The QRC is an independent body managed and run by Director General Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), and REAP only looks after its financial affairs. Consequently, the workers at QRC are appointed by EPB and not REAP, therefore there is no question of favouritism or victimisation,” he added.
The size of current paddy crop is estimated at around 5.3 million tons and almost half of it will be available for export and remaining will be consumed domestically. Around 1.7 million tons of Irri-6 will be exported and one million of basmati rice.
In order to achieve ‘Rice Vision 2010’, he said that sub-committee had been formed which would prepare a detailed working paper for removal of technical problems as well as give suggestions for improving the supply side.
