This he said while speaking at the Iftar-dinner hosted by Reap managing committee member and senior rice exporter Mehboob Ahmed Paracha here on Wednesday evening. Tariq Ikram asked the Reap members to nourish and visualise a vision that could increase the rice target to the required level.
He said: "It is not a difficult task and if the rice exporters work with all other stakeholders for this vision then rice export could get the target of 2.25 billion by the year 2010.
Regarding Quality Review Committee (QRC), managed by the Reap, he said that 'it is the only institution, which is being managed by private sector and it is an example for the others. QRC is doing well and its status would not be changed at any cost. He asked the Reap to strengthen QRC and make it more efficient. "QRC should be ISO 17000 certified," he added.
He opposed the idea of QRC being managed by EPB and said that the present set-up was quite all right.
TRAINING INSTITUTE: While accepting the suggestion for establishing a training institute to provide skilled manpower, he asked the Reap to set up such institute and affiliate it with a reputable international university. He also stressed the need of developing quality rice seeds so that yield could be increased.
He asked the Reap to hold a seminar and to invite representatives from Ministry of Agriculture, growers, millers, exporters and all other stakeholder to discuss about all the issues regarding rice cultivation, production, seed development, export. Seminar should submit its recommendations before the government, he said and held out an assurance that the government would provide all necessary facilities to them.
Chairman Reap Haji Abdul Majeed appreciated the services of Tariq Ikram and said that he had done a lot for all trades, especially rice exports.
He suggested that the EPB and Reap should work together as usual for increasing the rice exports.
Former Reap chairman Abdul Rahim Janoo said that their group had won all the 10 seats of the managing committee in the last election. This was a fair election and majority of the Reap members expressed their confidence in them. Now it was responsibility of the new elected leadership to serve rice exporters and to increase the rice export.
He requested the EPB chairman to approve the formation of two delegations for the foreign visits on a priority basis.
Mehboob Ahmed Paracha said that the government should pay its attention for seed development so that the rice yield could increase.
He also demanded for establishment of two training institutes, (one in Punjab and one in Karachi), that could provide skilled manpower to the rice trade.
"The government collects Rs 140 million per annum on account of Export Development Surcharge from rice export," he said and demanded that the government should spend at least 33 percent of this amount for seed development and for training of manpower.
A large number of rice exporters, members of Reap managing committee and others were present on this occasion.