Observer Report Beijing
A detailed report on Pakistani rice was released by China-Pakistan Agricultural and Industrial Information Platform (CPAIC) which offers a comprehensive overview of the varieties, production, trade, and prospects of Pakistani rice.
Gwadar Pro quoting the report stated that while Pakistan has already become one of the top rice producers and exporters in the world, there are still abundant opportunities to be exploited in the international market.
Pakistan is among the top rice producers and exporters in the world. According to data of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Pakistan provided over 10% of the world’s rice output and was ranked at the ninth position in 2019.
Rice is the sixth largest export commodity and the largest non-textile export commodity in Pakistan.
According to data of the International Trading Center (ITC), Pakistan exported 4.59 million tons of rice in 2019, equivalent to USD 2.3 billion value-wise, both of which accounted for 10% of the world’s total exports, making Pakistan the third largest rice exporter in terms of both volume and value.
The rice grown in Pakistan is mainly divided into Basmati rice and non-Basmati rice.
Basmati rice, with slender and elongated grains, aromatic taste, and soft and fluffy texture when cooked, is one of the most favored high-end rice varieties in the international market.
Pakistan is the most important growing area of Basmati rice besides India and Bangladesh.
The average cost per acre of both Pakistan’s Basmati rice and IRRI rice was below PKR 50,000 in 2019 in accordance with calculations by the Agriculture Marketing Information Service (AMIS), Directorate of Agriculture Punjab, as listed in the 2020 Q1 report of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
