LAHORE: Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Chairman Ali Hussam Asghar congratulating Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his appointment as prime minister and hoped that the new government will improve structural, operational and policy issues to accelerate the country’s rice exports.

Ali Hussam also revealed that higher cost of production, low level of farms productivity, lack of research in seed development and infrastructural bottlenecks hinders Pakistan’s quest for enhanced agricultural export value and competitiveness. He stressed that agricultural sector cannot boost without meaningful intervention, modernization and structural transformation.

At a meeting of the rice exporters here on Wednesday, Ali Hussam Asghar said that business community has good expectations that present Government will fulfil all the commitments which they have shown particularly to improve the economy of the country as well as the commitment of the PML-N to grow the export trade which is backbone of any country’s economy. He assured that REAP will work with the Prime Minister’s shoulder to shoulder to enhance rice export.

Group Leader REAP and former Chairman LCCI Shahzad Ali Malik also congratulated Mian Shahbaz Sharif on this occasion and expressed hope that the new PM being a former LCCI chairman will introduce friendly business policies to enhance export and to earn valuable foreign exchange for our beloved country.

Pakistan is among the top rice producers and exporters in the world. Pakistan provides over 10% of the world’s rice output and ranked at the ninth position. Rice is the sixth largest export commodity and the largest non-textile export commodity in Pakistan. Pakistan exports 37 million tons of rice equivalents to US$2.04 billion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022