The committee members will include Shahjahan Malik, Senior Vice Chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), Sohail Asghar (Grower) and Dr Muhammad Sabar, Rice Botanist, Rice Research Institute (RRI) of Kala Shah Kaku. Decision to this effect was taken at a recently-held meeting of the Research & Development Board of Rice constituted by the provincial government to resolve the issues being faced by rice crop in the province and help enhancing its exports.
According to the minutes, Sarfraz Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Board, presided over the meeting, said the sources privy to the meeting. During the meeting, Director Rice Research Institute (RRI) Dr Muhammad Akhtar threw light on the research work planned by the institute for the current year while also identified issues faced by the rice crop. These include low plant population, plant hopper infestation, diseases, weeds, water management and low rice yield and quality.
Speaking on this occasion, Board's Chairman Sarfraz Khan pointed out that around 60 percent of the rice produced in Pakistan was being exported but our basmati rice exporters were falling on account of hard competition in the international market, particularly from India, with reference to both quality and price. He also talked about the 1121 variety and said that it was actually non-basmati because of having no aroma, but the government of India had officially declared the same as Basmati. He suggested for properly investigating the advantages and disadvantages Pakistani rice being faced against its competitors and then devising a method to go for increasing the exports.
The Board members accepted an offer extended by Shahzad Malik of the Guard Agri Research & Services to see the fruits of research being undertaken by his organisation on hybrid rice.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017