Rice Trade: Relief sought for growers, exporters

Tice exporters needed to be left alone to promote their brands according to demand of buyer, said UNISAME President

KARACHI: The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has invited the attention of the Ministry of Commerce to the adverse conditions faced by rice growers, processors, exporters and merchants due to weak demand, high cost of production and no support from the government. “In India, there are subsidies on farm inputs and Pakistan is facing stiff competition from India. This year India beat us and we remained behind due to lower prices of Indian rice and its policy of giving a free hand to exporters,” said UNISAME President Zulfikar Thaver in a statement. He said the prices of superior varieties of rice fell 50% and other varieties by about 20%, causing huge losses to growers as well as foreign buyers. Thaver added rice exporters knew their business and needed to be left alone to promote their brands according to the demand of buyers, who need skilfully blended rice.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2015.

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