Minister for boosting rice exports

Asks exporters to comply with EU food safety standards

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan has called for taking measures to enhance Pakistan's rice exports and ensure compliance with European food safety standards.

As Pakistan holds a 25% share in the European rice market, outpacing India's 16%, the minister underscored the need for greater collaboration between the government and exporters to maintain the competitive edge in future as well.

In a meeting with representatives of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), Jam Kamal emphasised the critical role of rice exports in Pakistan's economy as rice was second only to cotton in terms of export value.

He remarked that rice exporters were a primary source of revenue and employment, with the government aiming to increase annual shipments from $4 billion to $6-7 billion in the near future. "We are focusing on improving our standards to meet international food safety requirements, especially in Europe," he stated.

He also highlighted recent diplomatic engagements, specifically the visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Pakistan last week. During talks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed the expansion of rice and meat exports to Malaysia.

"A Pakistani business delegation will visit Malaysia in November, led by the commerce minister, to explore new opportunities for trade in rice and other sectors," Jam Kamal revealed.

Speaking on the occasion, REAP Chairman Malik Faisal Jahangir shared positive feedback and mentioned that Pakistan's rice exports faced fewer regulatory challenges than many of its competitors.

Only 74 "Rapid Alerts" for pesticides and other issues were released against Pakistani rice exporters last year compared to 264 for India.

He noted that Pakistan was one of the lowest risk countries concerning food safety standards while Turkey, India, Spain, Italy and the UK faced significantly higher number of alerts.

However, Jahangir voiced concern over a negative campaign that could potentially harm Pakistan's reputation in overseas markets. Responding to that, Jam Kamal stressed the importance of educating farmers about how to reduce the occurrence of alerts and improve the quality of rice harvest.

"Despite producing a small quantity of rice, Balochistan is known for cultivating some of the best organic crops in Pakistan," he pointed out.