Pakistan has exported 3.025 million tons of rice: 0.725 million tons Basmati and 2.3 million Irri-6 and other varieties. This was revealed by Javed Aslam Agha Chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) while talking exclusively to Business Recorder here on Monday.
He said that Pakistani rice exporters have exported almost the same quantity of the commodity this year as last year. Agha said that export of Basmati rice declined by 10 percent as compared to the exports of the same period of last year but exports of Irri-6 and other varieties increased by 15 percent against the exports of last year.
"We have set 4 million tons of rice export target for the ongoing year and up-to June we will achieve this target. Pakistani Basmati rice is being sold in the international market at $1,100 to 1,200 per ton and non-Basmati rice at $400 per ton" he said.He further said that current total exports of Basmati rice are around $800 million while non-Basmati rice exports stand at around $920 million.
Agha maintained that by the end of June 2012 another 1 million tons of rice would be exported and larger quantity would be basmati so the country would earn an estimated $3 billion through rice export. Total production of rice during the current year is 6.9 million tons while total consumption is 2.8 million tons.
Therefore, Pakistan has 3.5 million tons surplus rice for exports that would net the country $3 billion. The official added that out of total production of 6.9 million tons of rice, production of Basmati is around 4.3 million tons while the remaining 2.5 million tons is Irri-6.