Rice exporters: REAP irked by attaché’s ‘non-cooperation’

Delegation was unable to visit Saudi Arabia after visas were not issued

ISLAMABAD: Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) came down hard on the country’s commercial attaché in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for not cooperating with the association to facilitate the issuance of visas.

“The REAP delegation postponed their scheduled visit to the Kingdom after they were given a cold shoulder by the commercial attaché Wasim Hayat Bajwa,” said REAP delegation leader Abdul Rahim Janoo, while talking to The Express Tribune.

“This is not the first time this has happened; we have had to cancel our scheduled visit twice because of the non-cooperative attitude,” he added. The REAP had prepared a 29-member delegation for a visit to Saudi Arabia from March 11-20 to discuss rice exports with the authorities and the business community.

“Bajwa did not cooperate with us for the issuance of visa letter for the members,” said Janoo, adding that now the association had decided not to send any delegation to Saudi Arabia as long as the incumbent commercial attaché was posted.

He said Saudi Arabia was one of the largest rice markets for basmati rice but Pakistan’s share was a meagre 10% in it. “Our rice share in the Saudi market is continuously falling and neighbouring countries are taking advantage of it.”

Pakistan produced 7.008 million tons of rice during 2014-15 and recorded highest ever production due to timely sowing, availability of irrigation water and more acreage under high yielding hybrid rice  varieties.

About 3 million tons of rice is annually consumed in the country and the remaining quantity is exported. This year, however, most of the stock could not be shipped due to decline of the commodity price in the international market.

Thailand, India and Vietnam are occupying Pakistan’s traditional rice markets because of competitive pricing.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2016.

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