KARACHI: Rice exports rose by 10 per cent year on year during the first six months (July to Dec) of current fiscal year to 1.597 million tonnes from 1.446m tonnes.

According to official figures, during July-Dec period the country earned $819m compared with $752m in the same period last fiscal year.

The country exported 274,000 tonnes Basmati rice in the six-month period, fetching higher foreign exchange at $296m whereas in the same period last fiscal Basmati rice exports stood at 240,000 tonnes and earned $233m.

This means that Basmati rice exports during the period were higher by 34,000 tonnes or by 14 per cent and earned around $63m more foreign exchange.

Similarly, non-Basmati rice exports during this period were also higher at 1.3m tonnes as against 1.26m tonnes recorded in the same period last fiscal. Consequently, the country earned higher foreign exchange at $522m compared to $519m a year earlier. Former chairman of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) Jawed Ali Ghori said that on getting GSP-Plus status, the rice exporters could easily increase their export volume to European countries.

He said the other advantage which came their way is that price of brown rice in India has suddenly risen and this situation has turned in favour of Pakistani rice exporters who could easily capture world market where Indian rice exporters would fail to export.—Staff Reporter