KARACHI, Sept 27: The country is likely to export rice worth over $600 million this year on bright prospects of higher paddy crop, which will give a sizable export surplus.

This was stated by Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) chairman Abdul Rahim Janoo at the inauguration ceremony of the REAP House here on Friday evening.

He disclosed that Sindh had also entered into ‘basmati rice growers club’ and this year 300,000 tons of good quality basmati were grown in Sindh for the first time. It will help improve the standard of life of farmer community in the province, he added.

The REAP chairman said this year a record earning of $545 million was achieved through rice exports, adding soon the association would become a member of ‘$1 billion club’.

He appreciated the commerce minister’s contribution towards improving rice exports and said that exporters’ demands at the 2nd Export Trophy Award function for duty and sales tax free import of machinery for rice plants were fully endorsed and supported by the minister.

Rahim Janoo further said the commerce ministry’s commitment to set up food security agency to ensure against the sale of Pakistani rice under Indian brand names would also help improve the country’s image in the world rice market.

However, he urged the commerce minister to exempt equipments and machineries for rice from customs and other duties.

Mr Janoo has also sought a REAP member on the KPT board as its members are frequent user of the Karachi Port and generate sizable amount of revenue for the exchequer as well as for the KPT.

He also mentioned a number of problems the rice exporters are confronting viz-a-viz Pakistani rice exports to the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Iran, Indonesia, China and other countries. The REAP chief said that in order to expand rice market, the government-sponsored delegations of rice exporters must visit African and the Gulf states.

He disclosed that on the advice of the Prime Minister a REAP delegation visited Iran and signed a deal of 22,000 tons of Pakistani rice worth $12m with various Iranian agencies.