India's ban boosts Pakistan rice exports
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
ISLAMABAD, June 15 (Commodity Online): India's ban on basmati rice exports helped its neighbour Pakistan to increase its exports by fifty per cent until June this year, according to Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan.
In a statement, Reap said, "Our rice exports this year have been exceptionally good. By the end of June, our exports will touch the 4.5 million tonnes mark".
Continuing Indian ban on the export of non-basmati rice contributed to rise in Pakistan's exports, which totaled 3 million tonnes in the 2008-09 financial year, Reap said.
A strategy to keep prices low also helped raise demand in African and Gulf countries.
"We had a new strategy to keep our prices lower by $10-12 a tonne as compared to others to increase volume and that worked", it said.
Pakistan exported 3.65 million tonnes of all types of rice in the first 10 months of the year to April, more than 66 per cent increase over rice exports in the same period last year.
Out of the total exports, Pakistan exported about 800,000 tonnes of basmati rice through April, compared with more than 774,119 tonnes over the same period last year.
Exports of non-basmati rice rose more than 100 per cent to 2.86 million tonnes in the same period.
South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Dubai were the main buyers, while Pakistan was also able to sell more rice this year to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Thailand and Vietnam were Pakistan's main rivals in the non-basmati category as India forbids the export of most varieties of rice to help tame high domestic food inflation. Pakistan and India compete in the export of basmati rice.
In a statement, Reap said, "Our rice exports this year have been exceptionally good. By the end of June, our exports will touch the 4.5 million tonnes mark".
Continuing Indian ban on the export of non-basmati rice contributed to rise in Pakistan's exports, which totaled 3 million tonnes in the 2008-09 financial year, Reap said.
A strategy to keep prices low also helped raise demand in African and Gulf countries.
"We had a new strategy to keep our prices lower by $10-12 a tonne as compared to others to increase volume and that worked", it said.
Pakistan exported 3.65 million tonnes of all types of rice in the first 10 months of the year to April, more than 66 per cent increase over rice exports in the same period last year.
Out of the total exports, Pakistan exported about 800,000 tonnes of basmati rice through April, compared with more than 774,119 tonnes over the same period last year.
Exports of non-basmati rice rose more than 100 per cent to 2.86 million tonnes in the same period.
South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Dubai were the main buyers, while Pakistan was also able to sell more rice this year to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Thailand and Vietnam were Pakistan's main rivals in the non-basmati category as India forbids the export of most varieties of rice to help tame high domestic food inflation. Pakistan and India compete in the export of basmati rice.