Pakistan ready to export rice to China
Considering the surplus after meeting annual domestic consumption of 2.5 million tons, Pakistan is ready to export 3.75 million tons of rice to China, said Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) President SM Naveed.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, Naveed said that China had emerged as one of the destinations for Pakistani rice export, as reflected in the 244% increase in paddy shipments to the neighbour over the last two years.
He added that the PCJCCI had initiated a move to double exports to China within a year. “The dream of exporting around 10 million tons of Irri-6 rice to China could turn into a reality if sustained efforts to market Pakistani rice are pursued, focusing on the need of Chinese population,” the PCJCCI chief stated.
In the same statement, PCJCCI Senior Vice President Daud Ahmed said that new hybrid rice varieties were being developed in Pakistan, which would give maximum yield with minimum input costs during water scarcity.
“The Rice Research Institute has developed new techniques to cultivate rice through the ‘broadcasting system’ instead of manual sapling plantation,” he revealed, adding that under the technique, if farmers succeeded in cultivating 80,000 plants in a field, they would get more production besides saving input costs up to Rs14,000 per acre.
“This technique is not only cheaper but also helps to save 30-35% of irrigation water,” Ahmed stressed.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 11th, 2021.
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