PCJCCI keen to explore China for rice exports

LAHORE: Considering the surplus after meeting domestic consumption of 2.5 million tonnes, Pakistan is ready to export 3.75 million tonnes rice annually to China, an official said on Tuesday.

S M Naveed, president of the Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI), said that China has emerged as one of the destinations for Pakistani rice exports, as reflected in the 244 per cent increase in rice exports to the country during the last two years.

The PCJCCI has initiated a move to double the exports to China within a year, he said, adding that the dream of exporting around 10 million tonnes of Irri-6 rice to China could turn into reality if sustained efforts to market Pakistani rice to China are pursued, focusing on the need of the Chinese population.

Daud Ahmed, senior vice president of the PCJCCI, said that new hybrid rice varieties are being developed in Pakistan, which would give maximum yield by utilising minimum input costs during water scarcity.

The Rice Research Institute had developed new techniques to cultivate rice through a broadcasting system instead of manual sapling plantation, he said, adding that under this technique, if farmers succeed in setting up 80,000 plants in a field, they will get more production, besides saving the input costs up to Rs14,000/acre. This technique is not only cheaper but also helps save 30 per cent to 35 per cent irrigation water.

Khalid Raffique Choudhry, vice president of the PCJCCI, said that the response of the Chinese importers for Pakistani rice is overwhelming, compared with the rice imported from Thailand and Vietnam.

“Our rice industry is not showing its full potential due to some internal barriers related to planning and strategic implementations.”

He also said the rice exporters deserve the patronage of the government at par with the textile industry to develop rice exports as one of the major foreign exchange-earning sectors.

Salahuddin Hanif, secretary general of the PCJCCI, said that the chamber is going to launch a concrete drive to market Pakistani rice in China by creating a personalised demand among the Chinese. The body is exploring new techniques with China to improve the quality of rice. Chinese buyers prefer to buy the rice with good milling quality.

Hence, the PCJCCI will manage match making of the Chinese and Pakistani entrepreneurs in this sector to increase the demand of the Pakistani rice in China

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