According to Rice exporters, China had almost absolved import duty from agriculture commodities and was planning to import 2.3 million tonnes of rice during the year 2006.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz following the demands of Sindh Balochistan Rice Millers and Growers Association and Sindh Abadgar Board regulated the price structure of coarse rice by announcing minimum support price of paddy at Rs300 per 40 kg and directed the PASSCO to commence procurement process in rice growing areas of Sindh and Balochistan without further delay to resolve the problems of coarse rice growers in Sindh and Balochistan, where Rice production recorded an increase of 13 percent as compared to last year.
He also directed the shipping authorities to provide maximum facilities to rice exporters as Pakistan had entered into an agreement with China and Malaysia to improve its rice export.
President Sindh Abadgar Board, Abdul Majeed Nizamani in a statement issued here on Friday lauded the Prime Minister's efforts in resolving the problems of rice growers by setting up the minimum price of paddy and directing PASSCO to commence procurement without further delay to regulate the price structure of rice.
He said the steps taken by the PM would go a long way in resolving the problem of surplus produce of rice and other crops resulting in decline of price structure.
He said Rice production in Sindh, the major coarse Rice producer in the country, computed at 16.889 million tones showing an increase of 12.62 percent compared to last year but the steep decline in coarse rice price brought the rice growers on their knee.
He also extolled the constitution of monitoring committee by the Prime Minister headed by State Minister for food and Agriculture Muhammad Ali Malkani to monitor the procurement of paddy by ensuring establishment of procurement centres in rice growing areas of Sindh and Balochistan by PASSCO and procurement of rice at state set price.
The Board's President suggested that a permanent committee should be constituted to monitor the price structure of surplus crops, which would encourage growers to produce more with out fear of problem of plenty and would also bring an end to exploitation of exporters.