Pakistan has exported a record volume of non-basmati rice (72,623 metric tons) to China worth $30 million in just one month (January 2013) of current fiscal year.

“China has become a major market for Pakistani non-basmati rice. Rise in coarse rice export to China will increase the overall export volume from Pakistan”, said Chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Javed Ali Ghori in a statement here Thursday.

He said that during January 2013, Pakistan exported 340,333 MT rice worth $141 million and 37,000MT of basmati rice worth $38 million to different destinations.

During the same month, Pakistani exporters shipped 56,355 MT of non-basmati rice to Kenya, while 9,045 MT basmati rice to United Arab Emirates (UAE), 6,345 MT basmati rice to Oman.

Ghori pointed out that Pakistani exporters have fully utilised a quota of 6000 MT of basmati rice to Sri Lanka till February 2013.Pakistani basmati rice is in great demand in Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan exporters are willing to import more basmati rice from Pakistan.

He said REAP has dispatched request to Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and Sri Lankan Consul General in Karachi for enhancing quota limit for Pakistan from 6000 to 12,000 MT for basmati rice.REAP Chairman underlined the need for initiating efforts to get enhanced quota from Sri Lanka to enhance export of basmati rice.