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PAKISTANI RICE EXPORTERS TO VISIT SRI LANKA TO FLOOD THE MARKET WITH BASMATHI

By Walter Jayawardhana

A team of Pakistani rice exporters will visit Sri Lanka to meet the rice importers and government Minister and officials in an attempt to ease the import of Pakistani rice to Sri Lanka .

Abdul Baseer, Vice Chairman of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan said they were prepared to supply 6000 tons of rice to Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lanka government is encouraging rice imports from Pakistan to Sri Lanka to flood the market with the country’s staple and keep the prices down.

The REAP officials said the Pakistani exporters will go to Sri Lanka at the end of April or beginning of may this year.

The decision was reached after a meeting between the Sri Lankan Consul General V.S.Sidath Kumara and members of the REAP in Karachchi.

The Sri Lankan consul general requested the REAP to ask the government to increase export quota of Basmati rice to Sri Lanka. He said that Sri Lanka has very close relations with Pakistan, which stands second in bilateral trade with Sri Lanka after India in the SAARC region in 2006. The trade between Sri Lanka and Pakistan has surpassed $350 million and soon, it will reach $1 billion under the free trade agreement, he said.

Vice Chairman Abdul Baseer said they were prepared to supply rice but the rapidly increasing world prices for rice is the pinch.

He said that importing countries should complete all documentation and letter of credit in order to have an even trade. He said that REAP is focused on promoting trade between India and Pakistan.

Former Chairman of REAP Abdul Rahim Janoo, while speaking at the occasion, said that Pakistani government has been very cooperative and REAP is always given consideration in all government meetings.
The Sri Lanka Consul General Sidath Kumara said he would make all necessary arrangements for meetings with government officials and rice importers.

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