Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has urged the federal government to devise a national level policy for encouraging mechanization in the rice sector especially promotion of harvesting with rice harvesters instead of wheat harvesters.
The Association also urged the government to promote rice transplanters and dryers for paddy to save the precious foreign exchange earning commodity from wastage.
The proposal was floated by the REAP Chairman Safder Hussain Mekhri and Senior Vice Chairman Ali Hussam Asghar during a meeting with the Prime Minister's Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood and the Federal Secretary Commerce Muhammad Younus Dagha.
REAP leadership apprised the government representatives that use of wheat harvesters for rice result in increased broken percentage in the paddy.
They were of the view that if Ministry of Commerce (MinCom) facilitates promotion of rice harvesters it could save at least 2 percent broken which will have a financial impact of US 100 million dollars in saving to exporters because of enhanced quality of the end products due to the less broken percentage.
REAP Senior Vice Chairman Ali Hussam Asghar while talking to Business Recorder here on Thursday said that the Association also urged the Ministry of Commerce to facilitate usage of rice transplanters at the time of paddy sowing as it would increase the number of plants sown thus leading to more per acre yield.
Both the sides also agreed for the promotion of local industry for manufacturing of rice transplanters and harvesters in the country, Ali added.
He expressed his optimism that the proposed changes if brought in with the help of the Commerce Ministry can help the exporters to take the rice exports from the present $2 billion to $5 billion in next few years.
REAP eyes promising future for Rice Exports in the years to come thanks to a proactive Team lead by the advisor to PM on commerce, Ali Hussam said.
He termed the interactions as extremely productive with all relevant areas especially the negotiations on bilateral trade with Government focus on promoting agriculture based exports and rice as the only crop grown for export as more than 60 percent is exported to over a 100 plus countries, received all-out support.
Specific countries are being focused where potential is to capture bigger share for Pakistan rice and the operational issues in the whole value chain of rice is also being taken up to encourage exporters in investing in the much need backwards integration and farm mechanization to attend to Gaps existing in the rice value chain, Ali Hussam Asghar concluded.
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