Rice export registers 50 percent increase

The country''s rice export has registered around fifty percent increase in the first seven months of the current fiscal by touching 622.691 million dollars mark against 416.130 million dollars in the corresponding period of previous year.
According to official figures available here, Pakistan exported 1,771,008 tonnes of rice in the said period against 1,215,512 tonnes rice exported in the same period of 2004-05.
The increase in export of Basmati variety was recorded 36.76 percent as a total of 580,871 tonnes worth 321.573 million dollars (Rs 19,211 million) was exported in this period against 449,780 tonnes worth 235.129 million dollars (Rs 13,938 million) exported in the same period last year.
The export of other varieties of rice was also up by 66.36 percent as 1,190,137 tonnes worth 301.118 million dollars (Rs 17,994 million) was exported in the first seven months of current fiscal against 765,732 tonnes worth 181.001 million dollars (Rs 10,755 million) exported in the corresponding period last year.
Former chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) Abdul Rahim Janoo while talking to Business Recorder said that the increase in rice export was due to a bumper crop and good quality of Pakistani rice this year.
He said that rice exports to some African countries including South Africa, Mozambique and others increased and the said countries imported more Pakistani rice due to its good quality.
"We would achieve the target of 1.2 billion dollars of rice export this year as the bulk shipment of Basmati variety starts after four to five months of the crop season because of its maturity", Janoo said.
He said that Reap would celebrate this year as a record rice export and becoming one billion dollar club member. "We would invite President General Pervez Musharraf or Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to celebrate this historic event this year", he added.
One of the leading rice exporters Abdul Rauf Chappal told Business Recorder that some new markets including Yemen and South Africa have been captured by the Pakistani rice exporters and the country''s rice export would make a new record this year.
He said because of new market available for Pakistani rice and value addition on this commodity the target of 1.2 billion dollars of rice export would easily be achieved this year.