Sindh CS Sohail Rajput promised to resolve concerns of rice exporters
- Sohail Rajput stated that the younger generation must take the initiative and contribute to the economy’s progress.
- According to Rajput, the country is also experiencing a wheat crisis and would import 3 million tonnes of wheat.
- REAP meets with the Sindh Government to discuss ways to improve productivity and exports of rice, among other issues.
KARACHI: Dr. Sohail Rajput, Sindh’s Chief Secretary, said on Wednesday that the government of Sindh will provide complete support to rice exporters in order to bring in more foreign cash.
Rajput, speaking at a lunch sponsored by the Rice Exports Association of Pakistan (Reap) in his honour, stated that the agriculture industry is the country’s backbone, but that there is a dearth of research and development in this crucial sector, which has a significantly lower per acre production than other countries.
He stated that the younger generation must take the initiative and contribute to the economy’s progress.
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He stated that the Sindh government is totally dedicated to helping the agriculture sector and is willing to launch a number of public-private partnership projects to help farmers.
Sohail Rajput praised Reap’s recommendations for improving the rice sector and urged that a separate meeting of Reap’s team and Sindh government officials be held next week to discuss next steps. He also pledged the Sindh government’s complete assistance for the development of the rice export sector.
Read More: Rice exporters warn of losing $400 million due to high freight charges
According to the Chief Secretary, Reap is a very dynamic organisation that generates billions of revenues for the government.
He stated that global climate change is a new challenge that requires policies to be developed ahead of time. “We already have a shortage of water and climate change has created more challenges for the agriculture sector. This year water arrival is delayed due to climate change and there is also a need to advocate for the farmers for this challenge,”
New seed kinds must be developed, and the Sindh government will assist farmers and exporters in cultivating new seeds.
Despite the fact that Pakistan is an agricultural country, it is experiencing a commodity scarcity. According to Rajput, the country is also experiencing a wheat crisis and would import 3 million tonnes of wheat to meet domestic demand.
Due to a growing trade deficit, Pakistan’s external account is under strain. Pakistan is expected to have a trade imbalance of Rs 45 billion by the end of this fiscal year, according to projections. At 13.75 percent, the policy rate is already higher.
“We can earn billions of dollars through IT exports. This year Pakistan’s IT exports will be 2.7 billion and still there is scope of massive growth,” he said.
Read More: India has no plans to curb rice exports
Sohail Rajput praised the concept of conserving energy by using sunshine and stated that the issue would be discussed at the next cabinet meeting.
In his welcome remarks, Anwar Mianoor, Senior Vice Chairman Reap, stated that rice from Sindh province accounts for a large portion of Pakistan’s total rice exports. As a result, REAP meets with the Sindh Government’s Chief Secretary and Secretary Agriculture to improve agricultural productivity.
He stated that Reap had offered recommendations to improve the rice crop and exports. The government can increase per acre yield by implementing these ideas, and the former will undoubtedly be the biggest benefactor of these reforms.
He commended the Sindh government for taking REAP’s proposal into consideration, particularly Secretary Agriculture’s approval of the Phytotron Tunnel Project. He went on to say that this project will be a game changer in the agricultural sector.
Abdul Rauf Ibrahim, Chairman of the KWGA, advised that, in order to preserve energy, business hours should be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., as per worldwide practises. He demanded that solar energy be pushed and that all import levies be repealed.
He voiced concern about the volatile exchange rate, claiming that the dollar’s impact on commodities is quite negative, with a Rs 2 increase in the dollar resulting in a Rs 5 increase in commodity prices. He also sought duty-free agriculture equipment imports to help farmers.
Read More: Exporters plead government not to impose ban on maize exports
Rice exporters, according to former chairman Rafique Suleman of Reap, play a key part in the country’s economy. Exporters are currently working on the full rice chain, from seed to export, in order to increase the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
He claims that in the next two years, Pakistan may make $3 billion by exporting rice, but that crop productivity must be increased.
Chairman of the South Zone Group, Abdul Rahim Janoo, and Shahid Tawawalla also spoke to the crowd.