Zahid Baig

LAHORE: Rice exporters expressing their pleasure in achieving the USD 4 billion export mark have vowed to take the figure to USD 5 billion during the year 2025 as per a roadmap they submitted to the government.

Malik Faisal Jahangir, who assumed the charge of Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) for 2024-26 on Monday, highlighted the remarkable growth of Pakistan’s rice exports, which surged from around USD 300 million when the association was founded to USD 4 billion in the last financial year. He expressed confidence in reaching a target of USD 5 billion by 2025.

Faisal was speaking at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of his association, where Jawed Jillani assumed the charge of Senior Vice Chairman, Mohib Ullah as Vice Chairman and Irfan Noor as Treasurer for the year 2024-26. The AGM was also addressed by the veteran rice trade leader Abdur Raheem Janoo, outgoing chairman Chela Ram Kelwani, Senior Vice Chairman Haseeb Khan and Pir Nazim Hussain Shah. Former chairman Sami Ullah Naeem, Shahjahan Malik, Malik Jahangir and others were also present.

Faisal emphasized his commitment to enhancing the rice sector, focusing on improvements from farming to milling. He was passionate about agriculture and aimed to modernize practices to align with international standards. He stressed the importance of transitioning from conventional to mechanical farming and called for collaboration between public and private sectors rather than competition.

Additionally, he underscored the need for educating farmers on the safe use of pesticides and fertilizers and promoting digitalization in agriculture. Jahangir also pledged to work towards obtaining industry status for the rice trade within his two-year term.

Shahzad Ali Malik, founder chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) and introducer of Hybrid rice in Pakistan, disclosed that the Punjab Seed Council has approved two new Basmati rice varieties, GUARD-101 and GUARD-102, which offer a 50% increase in yield compared to existing varieties like 1121. These new varieties can produce 60 to 65 maunds per acre, whereas current ones yield 40 to 45 maunds.

This boost in Basmati production could significantly enhance Pakistan’s rice exports, with the potential to reach $10 billion by 2030, he added.

Shahzad Ali Malik highlighted the importance of these new varieties and said that both are open-pollinated, allowing farmers to use the seeds for future crops. However, he raised concerns about the increasing area dedicated to hybrid rice in Punjab, which he views as a threat to Basmati’s heritage. Currently, hybrid rice occupies 10-15% of rice-growing areas in Punjab and over 25-30% in the southern regions.

Malik acknowledged that while farmers are drawn to hybrid varieties for their economic benefits, the new Basmati varieties should incentivize a shift back to traditional cultivation due to their higher yields.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Published Date: October 2, 2024