Hybrid rice technology has the potential to help increase the yield to 130 maunds per acre, which would help country to increase rice production from the current 6 million to 8 million tons and export earnings from $7.5 to $8 billion. This was stated by Shahzad Ali Malik, President Founder Group North Zone while speaking at a meeting attended by large number of rice exporters from both North and South zone of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP).
Both factions in the association announced to join hands to work for the organisation and the exporters. This happened when Abdul Rahim Jano former chairman REAP led a 20 member delegation of South Zone to Lahore to announce the 'joining of hands with the North Zone', says a press release issued here on Tuesday.
Malik, President Founder Group and Chief executive Guard Rice, Iftikhar Ali Malik, Vice President SAARC Chamber of commerce and Chairman Guard Group, Rahim Jano Past Chairman Reap, Jahangir Malik, Chairman Rice Exporter of Pakistan (REAP), Agha Javed, Rafiq Salman, Malik Nazir, Nazim Hussain Shah and a large number of REAP members were present on the occasion.
Malik paid tributes to his colleagues in the South Zone and particularly Rahim Jano, saying that it was goodwill prevailing on all sides and the efforts of well-wishers that had brought the North and South Zones together. He accepted the offer to help host the World Rice Congress in Lahore, saying that this was indeed a great honour for Pakistan.
Malik also urged his colleagues to make efforts in order to establish a training institute for the rice industry. He said towards this end two five acre plots-at the Rice Research Institutes, Kala Shah Kaku and Dhokry, Sindh had already been approved by the government, and it was only a question of pursuing the matter. He said establishment of such a training institute would help train agronomists, lab technicians and millers for the entire industry.-PR