Rice Exports

Pakistan is a major rice exporter and is forecast to export 1.8 MMT, consisting of 1.2 MMT of IRRI and 600,000 MT of Basmati, during MY 2001/02.

All trade is done by the private sector. The state-owned Rice Export Corporation was abolished several years ago. Today, another state trading agency, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), plays a limited role in the rice trade by facilitating government-to-government exports through the private sector. The GOP in consultation with the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has established a quality review committee to certify the quality of Pakistani rice prior to shipment in an effort to boost the image of Pakistani rice, and especially Basmati rice.

Rice exports by destination data are not available for MY 1999/00 and CY2000. Of the total 2.1 MMT of rice exports during MY 1999/00, IRRI rice exports totaled 1.548 MMT and Basmati exports totaled 555,000 MT.

The major destinations for IRRI rice exports for November 1999-June 2000 were: Afghanistan (183,726 MT), Bangladesh (120,738 MT), Sri Lanka (104,072 MT), United Arab Emirates (87,359 MT), India (77,218 MT) and South Africa (72,187 MT).

The major destinations for Basmati rice exports for November 1999-June 2000 were: United Arab Emirates (172,339 MT) Oman (68,360 MT), Saudi Arabia (64,680 MT), Qatar (44,678 MT), United Kingdom (27,452 MT), Bahrain (23,398 MT), and Kuwait (23,163 MT). 12,040 MT of Basmati rice and 1,679 MT of IRRI rice was shipped to the United States between November 1999-June 2000.