Tajikistan to import wheat, rice from Pakistan

Country needs basic food commodities after heavy snowfall.

ISLAMABAD:

Tajikistan has expressed interest in importing about 100,000 tons of wheat, 5,000 tons of rice, 5,000 tons of corn and banola oil as well as fertiliser, which will not only meet its domestic requirements, but will also enhance bilateral trade.

The interest was shown by a high-level delegation of Tajikistan, led by Nurmahmad Akhmedov, Chairman of the Agency on State Material Reserves, when it called on Senior Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim here on Tuesday.

Appreciating the political and diplomatic relations, both sides stressed that they would continue to work together to enhance trade and economic relations, said a statement.

Following unprecedented heavy snowfall in autumn and winter last year, the government of Tajikistan had been under stress and making efforts to provide basic food commodities for its people.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet has already approved export of 30,000 tons of sugar to Tajikistan from reserves of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan at a price $20 per ton lower than the international market.

In the meeting, it was decided that the Ministry of Commerce would arrange a meeting of the Tajik delegation with exporters for discussing quantity and prices of commodities and forging business contracts.

According to members of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), Pakistan can provide 50,000 to 100,000 tons of rice as per demand of Tajikistan. The delegation has shown interest in purchasing 5,000 tons of Irri-6 and Irri-9 rice.

It has proposed that rice may be delivered at the Torkham border, from where transportation cost will be borne by them. A meeting of the delegation is being arranged with prominent businessmen to finalise the mode of payment, transportation and prices.

Both sides also agreed to hold a technical-level meeting soon to explore the potential of bilateral trade. In this regard, a meeting between prominent members of REAP and the Tajik delegation was held at Islamabad office of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2012.