The export of Pakistan's parboiled rice has decreased by 10 times as compared to India's parboiled rice export due to high international rate of $425 per metric ton. Talking to Business Recorder here on Friday, a rice trader Hashim Sharja Wala, said: "Due to energy crisis and high cost of the management, the price of parboiled rice has increased to $425 per metric ton as compared to Indian rice which is available for $360 per metric ton.
The international markets are now moving towards India for parboiled rice and, as such, Pakistan's rice industry is on the verge of collapse," he added. He also claimed that despite high investment made by Sindh's parboiled rice industry manufacturers, 160 out of 200 rice units have been shut down because of energy crisis as well as due to rising handling cost.
Meanwhile, industry sources said: "The unending closure of parboiled units in Sindh has ruined the whole rice industry. Although manufacturers have invested a huge amount on the import of modern plants, negligence on the part of government has led to closure of 80 per cent parboiled units in the last three years," they lamented.
Besides, the price of paddy has also jumped due to costly farm manure and farm inputs, thereby forcing millers to remove the husk and white rice, instead of parboiled rice. The owners of parboiled units urged the government to take measures on war-footing basis to revive Sindh's parboiled rice industry by withdrawing withholding tax and giving subsidy for reducing the cost of production.