The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) has once again strongly opposed government buying of rice through Passco and TCP as owing to these tenders Pakistan's rice can no more compete with rice of other origins in the international market.
"Pakistan has lost major tenders in Iraq, Philippines and Mauritius during last week, which conventionally had been Pakistan rice markets for last several years", it added. The Reap said that the huge waste of funds, whereby TCP is paying extra Rs 178 million on purchase of first tender of 25,000 tons, awarded to a stockist (not a farmer) at Rs 32.90 per kg compared to the lowest rate of Rs 25.77 quoted to TCP here on January 14, 2009.
It called for cancellation of these high priced tenders as so far no action from Islamabad had led to complete halt in new orders to rice exporters with over 70 percent of rice export processing units having shut down in Punjab and a similar fate is expected in South Zone very shortly.-PR