Super seeds help boost Pakistan’s rice exports

Hybrid rice from China replaces some backward local varieties

LAHORE:

Pakistan’s rice exports grew 23% in fiscal year 2021-22 and reached $2.511 billion compared with $2.041 billion in fiscal year 2020-21.

As per Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Pakistan exported 4.877 million tonnes of rice in FY22 against 3.684 million tonnes in FY21, recording a growth of 32.35%.

Over the past couple of years, areas under rice cultivation have been on the rise. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan (2021-22), the crop was sown on 3,537 thousand hectares, showing an increase of 6.1% against 3,335 thousand hectares last year.

The record high output of rice stood at 9.323 million tonnes during 2021-22, higher by 10.7% than previous year’s production of 8.420 million tonnes.

In addition to the increase in acreage, the increase in rice production is another important factor contributing to the surge in Pakistan’s rice exports.

The renewal of good varieties and the use of advanced technology are essential factors for achieving high yields. Hybrid rice from China has replaced some backward local varieties.

Longping South Asia Seed R&D Centre has bred high-yield varieties with strong stress resistance in Pakistan.

Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association (PHHSA) Chairman Shahzad Ali Malik maintained that the regular use of hi-tech hybrid seeds in agriculture can contribute a lot to achieving an ambitious $35 billion export target with the slogan of “Grow More, Export More”.

R&D Centre Chief Scientist Long Chunjiu said in a recent interview that Pakistan has a great potential for rice export, in which hybrid rice seeds can play a critical role.

Pakistan’s rice export to China in the first six months of this year was worth around $345 million, compared with $258 million in the same period of last year, according to the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).

THE ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON THE cHINA ECONOMIC NET

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2022.

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