Pakistan starts producing Japan’s rice variety

Targets to export 100,000 tons of ‘Japonica’ to Japan.

KARACHI:

Pakistan has entered the ranks of those few countries which are cultivating prime Japanese rice variety called “Japonica” and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is targeting to export this variety to Japan which has a market of 500,000 tons, a trade official said.

Talking to the media at his office here on Friday, TDAP Chief Executive Tariq Iqbal Puri said Pakistan undertook the project of cultivating Japonica following a visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to Japan in February this year when Japanese buyers highlighted the importance of this variety. He said TDAP provided technical assistance to rice exporters in cultivating Japonica and now a prominent rice exporter Metco had started producing the variety.

Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and the US are already producing Japonica, which is very popular among consumers of China, Japan, Far East, Europe and other countries. Japan has a 500,000-ton market for the rice, of which 90 per cent is supplied by the US.

Puri said efforts were under way to export 100,000 tons of Japonica to Japan and the variety would also be put on display in the upcoming Expo Pakistan exhibition later this month. “A Japanese delegation of rice buyers is also coming to attend the exhibition,” he said.

Comparing yields given by different rice varieties, Puri said Japonica gave 100 per cent more output per acre compared to basmati and non-basmati varieties cultivated in the country. “To further enhance production, efforts are being made to purchase high-quality seeds from Japan.”

He said Japan had also a big market for value-added rice products and exporters could also target this by making value addition in Japonica rice.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Adviser K Tamaki, while appreciating the cultivation of Japonica variety, said Japan could become a major market for Pakistani rice as Tokyo was already importing 100 to 200 tons of basmati.

He said Gujranwala and Sialkot were the best areas for sowing of Japonica and suggested the commodity’s samples should be sent to Japan for examination.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2011.