KARACHI: Sindh Government and Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) on Thursday agreed to undertake joint efforts for promoting rice cultivation, capacity building of rice growers and increase the volume of rice export for their bilateral benefits.
Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah formed committee headed by Sindh Minister for Agriculture Sardar Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar with Secretary Agriculture and representatives of REAP as members, said an official statement.
The committee was assigned to work out schedule starting from educating the rice growers through seminars, literature and mechanical exhibitions for their capacity building to increase per acre production, avoid harvesting losses and introduce new but qualitative specially late varieties which are supposed to be sown in the time when water is available in rice canal.
The Chief Minister presided over a meeting with the 13- member REAP delegation, which called on him under the leadership of Chairman REAP, Rafique Suleman here at the Chief Minister House. Syed Qaim Ali Shah said the farmers, millers and exporters were the main organs for increasing the volume of rice export and earn foreign exchange and the create the more demand of rice production, which ultimately will be more beneficial for the growers.
He said though export was the federal subject but he will talk to concerned ministries of the Federal Government to extend maximum facilities to the rice exporters of Sindh. However, he urged REAP members to also take care of the interests of the rice growers while fixing the price of rice.
He said that Sindh was agro-based province and more than 70 per cent of its population depends on agro products. He said Sindh was rich in rice quality. The rice verities basmati and non-basmati were very much popular in the world. There is need for opening new windows of exports in the other countries.
He assured Sindh Government would support to the rice exporters to its capacity to encourage rice exporters and growers.
He emphasized on the exporters to try their best to project and export competitive rice varieties to grip the international market. About the law and order situation, the Chief Minister said that after targeted operation against the heinous crimes and terrorism, crime rate has decreased by more than 65 per cent decreased in Karachi. Sindh Minister for Agriculture, Sardar Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar advised the REAP members to have a separate meeting with him along with his administration to sort out all problems of REAP on the spot.
He also assured that Sindh Agriculture Department was ready for arranging joint seminars, workshops for the education of rice growers and also to implement the recommendations passed by experts in the seminars.
The Chairman REAP Rafiq Suleman said that they became exporters because of rice growers as such they intend to enhance the volume of export with Government facilities, create awareness and skill development of rice growers to encourage and enabling them to meet the future demand of rice production and earn more.
He said that from July 2013 to Nov. 2013 REAP exported 228.171 metric tones of basmati rice and earned $ 224.674,164 million. Whereas, its export volume from July 2014 to Nov.2014 remained 5 percent more with 238,450 million tones against the foreign exchange of $ 280.789,966 million.
Similarly, export volume of non-basmati rice remained 877.817 million tones against foreign exchange of $ 355.769,988 million from July 2013 to Nov.2013 and 1.019,537 million tones against $411.911,517 million from July 2014 to Nov. 2014 which according to him remained 16 percent higher than last year.
He said the rice exporters are facing some problems to do their business smoothly including shortage of power especially at the Hawksbay area of Karachi which has badly affected their business.
He demanded that industrial areas must be exempted from load shading.
He said that the REAP was in the way to explore and increase export opportunities specially in China, Malaysia , Indonesia, Kenya, Iran , Iraq and other countries for which Government support is needed. Sindh Secretary Agriculture Saqib Soomro briefed the meeting and said that over all total 4 million tons rice has been exported till date during 2014-2015 and earned $ 2 billion.
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