Pakistani exporters have requested Kenyan authorities for a preferential duty tariff for rice, so that they can increase the rice export volume to Kenya. They also proposed that Kenya Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Industry must establish a Rice Desk in their offices to facilitate Pakistan rice exporters to resolve the rice-related issues promptly as sometime due to sudden change of policy of Customs department, Pakistani exporters have to rush to Kenya for urgent solution.
These suggestions were presented by former chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Rafique Suleman on behalf of association in a presentation on Pakistani rice sector during the "Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference" organized by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) on January 30 and 31, in Nairobi.
Rafique Suleman informed the participants with annual rice crop which ranges from 7.0 to 7.5 million tons Pakistan is the 10th largest rice producing country of the world and homeland of world's best basmati & non-basmati rice.
"We have so many varieties of rice and specially world's renowned Long Grain Non-Basmati Rice of IRRI-6, which is very much liked in rice buying countries specially in Africa for its soft cooking," he added. He said that Pakistan exports more than 4 million metric tons of rice amounting to $ 2 billion annually to more than 100 countries of the world.
Staple diet of Pakistan is wheat, therefore, Pakistan have a good stock of rice surplus for export purpose only. In addition, currently, rates of rice are increasing in international market, however, Pakistani rice is more competent than other origin rice, he mentioned.
Suleman said that approximately some 25 percent share of total Pakistani rice exports goes to African countries and Kenya is the largest buyer of Pakistani rice, whereas other 75 percent export of rice goes to rest of the world. Majority of above countries are buyers of long Grain Non Basmati rice, whereas a good share of Pakistani Basmati & Brown rice is exported to UK and EU countries.
In value term Pakistani rice exports to African countries is approximately $600 million annually. While, top African destinations are Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar and Mozambique, he added.
He informed that in year 2018 Pakistani rice exports to African countries were shrank due to the flooded supply of Chinese and Thai rice in Kenyan markets. Former chairman REAP said that up to 30th June 2014, Kenya implemented a special duty tariff of 35 percent for Pakistan and 75 percent for other origins. He asked concerned authority to give the preferential duty tariff to Pakistani rice, so that exporters can increase the rice exports volume to Kenya.
He assured that Pakistan will continue supply of good quality rice to Kenya and other African countries, so that food shortage will never happen in African continent. Even in 2011-12 when there was a big food crisis observed around the globe and all rice exporting countries imposed ban on their rice exports but Pakistanis exporters honoured all their rice contracts and completed all orders of rice.
He apprised the participants of the conference that Pakistani rice exporters are making huge investments in installing most modern rice mills and upgrading their processing units. Further they are also getting international Certifications, which prove that they are more than qualified to leading rice buyers. He also put a proposal that Kenya Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Industry must establish a Rice Desk in their offices to facilitate Pakistani rice exporters and their problems must be resolved promptly.
The two-day conference was attended by Uhuru Kenyatta President Republic of Kenya, Peter Munya MGH Cabinet Secretary of Industry Trade &Co-operatives Kenya, Chairman Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) and MD Kenyan Ports & Shipping Mombasa.
While from Pakistan Foreign Minister of Pakistan Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Advisor to Prime Minister for Commerce & Textile Abdul Razzaq Dawood, High Commissioner of Pakistan for Kenya Saqlain Syedah, Secretary Commerce Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, Secretary Maritimes Affairs Rizwan Ahmed and Secretary TDAP Muhammad Sualeh Faruqui.
The conference was attended by delegates from some 20 countries of the world belong to different business & trade sectors. As Kenya is the largest buyer of Pakistani rice, Pakistani rice sector was given special preference in this conference.
Anwer Mianoor, former chairman REAP, Subhan Malik and Gurmukh Das, Managing Committee Members REAP, Abdul Razzak Paracha Shoaib Rauf Shivani, Muhammad Imran, Fareed Shaikh, Ramesh Kumar, Pardeep Kumar and Abdul Ahad also attended the conference under the umbrella of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan.
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