The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) will provide over 13,000 tonnes of fine quality rice to Utility Stores Corporation (USC) in the current month to facilitate the domestic consumers throughout the country.
"The USC has sent us the requirement for the month of May, which the Association has to provide within 15 days," said Reap Chairman Muhammad Azhar Akhtar while talking to Business Recorder on Monday. He said this was the part of an offer by Reap to sell 200,000 tonnes of rice to the Utility Stores for providing the commodity to the consumers at the reasonable rates.
Azhar said the Association had to give 200,000 tonnes of fine quality rice to USC in six months period. Syed Najaf Abbas Shah who was also present on this occasion said that they would give the rice ''Super Karnal Basmati'' at the rate of Rs 73 per kilogram and ''Super Karnal Basmati (broken)'' at the rate of Rs 43 per kilogram at Utility Stores.
He said the Association would arrange the transportation and packaging of the commodity. Azhar stated that they need some clarifications from the USC after which they would start the shipment.
The break-up of rice needed by the USC in different cities of Pakistan outlines that the Corporation needs 96 tonnes of Super Basmati rice and 340 tonnes of broken Basmati rice in Abbottabad, 72 tonnes super basmati and 96 tonnes broken in Attock, 72 tonnes super basmati and 48 tonnes broken for Bahawalpur, 48 tonnes of super basmati and 96 tonnes broken for Bunnu, 36 tonnes each of both for Chaghai, 360 tonnes super basmati and 144 tonnes broken for Chakwal, 72 tonnes super basmati and 96 tonnes broken for D.G. Khan, 72 tonnes super basmati and 48 tonnes broken for DI Khan.
Similarly, the requirement for Dadu has been given as 48 tonnes of super basmati and 36 tonnes of basmati broken, 240 tonnes of each quality for Faisalabad, 48 tonnes super basmati and 24 tonnes broken for Gwadar, 48 tonnes each of both qualities for Gilgit, 96 tonnes super basmati and 180 tonnes broken for Gujranwala, 120 tonnes super basmati and 180 tonnes broken each for Gujrat and Hairpur, 240 tonnes each of both qualities for Hyderabad, 360 tonnes each of both qualities for Islamabad, 72 tonnes of super basmati and 48 tonnes broken for Jacobabad, 96 tonnes of both qualities for Jhang and Jhelum each, 200 tonnes of super basmati and 360 tonnes broken each for Karachi-I and Karachi-II, 48 tonnes each of both qualities for Khuzdar, 72 tonnes of super basmati and 48 tonnes of basmati broken for Kohat, 360 tonnes each of both qualities for Lahore-I and the same quantity for Lahore-II, 72 tonnes super basmati and 36 tonnes broken for Larkana, 48 tonnes super basmati and 36 tonnes broken for Layyah and same quantity for Loralai, 72 tonnes each of both qualities for Mandi Bahauddin, 24 tonnes super basmati and 360 tonnes broken for Mansehra, 24 tonnes super basmati and 96 tonnes broken for Mardan, 24 tonnes super basmati and 36 tonnes broken for Mianwali, 48 tonnes super basmati and 72 tonnes broken for Mirpur Khas, 240 tonnes each of both for Multan, 120 tonnes super basmati and 360 tonnes broken for Muzafarabad, 48 tonnes super basmati and 120 tonnes broken for Muzafargarh, 72 tonnes super basmati and 96 tonnes broken for Nawabshah.
Likewise, the USC has demanded 240 tonnes super basmati and 360 tonnes broken for Okara, 36 tonnes super basmati and 120 tonnes broken each for Peshawar-I and Peshawar-II, 72 tonnes super basmati and 120 tonnes broken for Quetta, 72 tonnes each for R.Y. Khan, 360 tonnes each of both for Rawalpindi, 72 tonnes each for Sahiwal, 72 tonnes of super basmati and 180 tonnes of broken for Sargodha, 72 tonnes of super basmati and 160 tonnes of broken for Sheikhupura.
Muhammad Azhar Akhtar said Reap was ready to play its role for providing domestic consumer rice at reasonable rates and even had the plan to open its own fair price shops in future to provide branded rice to the local consumers at reasonable rates. It would also generate employment, he added.
Talking about the increasing prices of rice causing problems both for the exporters and local consumer, he said that if the government wanted to end this crisis it should have to eliminate the role of hoarders and middle man.