ISLAMABAD, Nov 18: The government on Monday constituted Pakistan Rice Board (PRB) to take care of quality control, research and development, marketing and export of rice, a senior official told Dawn.

The PRB, which would be an autonomous body comprising 18 members with its chairman from the public sector, is attached with ministry of commerce representing stakeholders in the value chain of rice-millers, exporters, growers, federal and provincial government, said the official.

The decision was taken at a high level meeting presi-ded over by the Federal Commerce Minister, Abdul Razak Dawood and attended by rice exporters, millers and other high officials of the ministry of commerce.

Elaborating the composition of the board members, the official said that PRB would compose of two millers as members one each from Sindh and Punjab. The millers appointed from Sindh was Gada Hussain Mahesser and Malik Asif from Punjab.

It would also include four growers as member, one each from four provinces, which would be nominated by provincial governments. The PRB would also include for exporters as members, chairman, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP); vice- chairman REAP and two other exporters.

The other members would include secretary agriculture Sindh and Punjab; joint secretary, ministry of commerce; director general, export promotion bureau (EPB), rice commissioner of ministry of food, agriculture and livestock, member representative, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), chairman of the board and chief executive office.

The head office of the board will be located in Lahore with its sub-office in Karachi.

The present system of Quality Review Committee for the inspection of basmati rice being administered by EPB would not be transferred to PRB, said the official.

The initial funding of the PRB would be made from export development fund (EDF), fee collected on account of quality inspection of rice, REAP contribution and other donor agencies grants.

Elaborating the functions of the board, the official said that it would hold exhibitions inside the country and in other countries.

It would also chalk out market access plan to enhance the export of the commodity.

The PRB would also coordinate and provide funding to the research institutes activities across the country and facilitate them in improving research, production and marketing of rice.

The other functions of the board would be to encourage and facilitate the growers to “grow for exports” provision of commercial intelligence to producers and exporters; provision of facilities for settlement of disputes relating to and arising from trade transactions and to arrange and attend trade exhibitions/trade delegations/ fairs within the country or abroad.

The board would also arrange and provide export services also provisions of expertise in rice trade, undertake study of international markets to facilitate trade and to undertake publicity campaigns nationally and internationally.