KARACHI: Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Chairman Abdul Qayyum Paracha Monday thanked the federal government for taking up their issues on priority.
He, in a statement, said the government funded farm mechanization REAP programme and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation would provide exclusive break bulk shipping services to the rice sector.
Lauding the initiative, he thanked the federal government for acceding to the REAP structured farm mechanization programme which would serve as the foundation for the REAP proposed visibility and standardization in the rice value chain.
It would also help attract major investments in the rice sector for realizing $5 billion annual exports and achieving the same with arriving at global best averages on each and every step in our rice value chain from farm inputs to seed purity, land reparation, water utilization, optimizing on yields, farmer’s access to formal credit, required harvesting drying storage and modern husking and processing mills.
He said the REAP mechanization programme, which would help bring visibility and standardisation to our rice value chain, would attract multinational agricultural reforms plans and execute long term investments in Pakistan where it potential runs into billions of dollars.
It would bring confidence among REAP members to invest in the backward integration on long term basis, he added.
The REAP chairman highlighted that the federal government and NEDB accidence to REAP had opened a new era in rice sector for our future generations.
He said REAP would also like to thank Federal Ministry of Commerce for organizing awareness seminars for farmers on MRL level of pesticides residue and extending their support for mapping of crop and zoning of rice growing areas with the help of provincial agriculture department for identification of districts with MRL issues.
“We see rice exports in next five years competing at a global level with the best in the world. And revival of our basmati heritage will now be a realistic dream, ” he commented.