On-going rains to hinder rice exports

REAP urges authorities to give priority to agriculture and food security

KARACHI: Recent rains may adversely affect the rice crop and result in a further drop in exports, stated the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP).

“Pakistan’s rice exports have already come down from $2 billion to $1.85 billion, and it is feared that this figure may further decline due to the on-going monsoon rains in the country,” said REAP Chairman Rafique Suleman.

On another note, Suleman also held the government responsible for the declining exports as it is doing very little to support research and development (R&D) in the sector.

“Different rice producing governments are focusing on their R&D including our neighbours like India and Bangladesh. On the other hand, here, authorities are approving housing schemes on the land of National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Islamabad,” he said.

He called the agriculture sector the backbone of the Pakistani economy, and stressed prime research centres to work actively with full state-of-the-art technologies so that exports may be increased and maximum foreign exchange earned.

He said such actions would prove detrimental for national agriculture and put the country back many decades back and affect not only productivity but exports as well.

“For years, the government has been giving mnimum attention to the sector and not providing due funds,” noted Suleman, adding that many international research institutes were located inside the NARC Campus and its closure or relocation would affect Pakistan’s credibility throughout the world.

REAP urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Minister for Commerce, Minister for National Food Security and Research to give priority to food security in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2015.

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