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REAP to provide 13,000T rice to USC this month

LAHORE: The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan is ready to bail-out the government from the current rice crisis by providing 200,000 tonnes of rice to the Utility Stores Corporation (USC).

In this regard; in the first phase, REAP will provide over 13,000 tonnes of fine quality rice to the USC during the current month in order to provide relief to domestic consumers across the country.

Talking to ‘The News’ here on Monday at the association’s office, chairman REAP Muhammad Azhar Malik said that the USC had sent a requirement of over 13,000 tonnes of rice for May which would be provided to the Corporation within 15 days.

Former chairman REAP Najaf Shah was also present on the occasion. Azhar said that this would be the first consignment out of a total of 200,000 tonnes committed by REAP to the government.

Rice would be sold across the country through the utility stores network to provide the commodity at affordable rates to consumers against increasing prices in retail markets. Total quantity of 200,000 tonnes of rice would be handed over to the government within six months, he said.

Chairman REAP speaking on the price of rice at which it would be provided to the general public through USC network said that ‘Super Karnal Basmati’ rice would be sold at the rate of Rs73kg and ‘Super Karnal Basmati broken rice at the rate of Rs43kg at USC stores.

The open market rates of both products are very high with Super Karnal Basmati rice currently at over Rs105kg and broken rice of the same variety being traded Rs50kg.He said the association would also arrange for the transportation and packaging of the commodity.

According to the break-up of rice required by the USC in different cities of Pakistan, the Corporation require 96 tonnes of Super Basmati rice and 340 tonnes of broken Basmati rice in Abbottabad, 72 tonnes of super basmati and 96 tonnes of basmati broken rice in Attock, 72 tonnes super basmati and 48 tonnes broken for Bahawalpur, 48 tonnes of super basmati and 96 tonnes broken for Bunnu, 72 tonnes Super Basmati and 96 tonnes broken for DG Khan, 72 tonnes Super Basmati and 48 tonnes broken for DI Khan.

Similarly requirement for Dadu has been given as 48 tonnes of super basmati and 36 tonnes of basmati broken, 240 tonnes of each quality for Faisalabad, 48 tonnes super basmati and 24 tonnes broken for Gwadar, 360 tonnes each of both qualities for Islamabad, 72 tonnes of super basmati and 48 tonnes broken for Jacobabad, 96 tonnes of both qualities for Jhang and Jhelum each, 200 tonnes of super basmati and 360 tonnes broken each for Karachi-I and Karachi-II, 48 tonnes each of both qualities for Khuzdar, 72 tonnes of super basmati and 48 tonnes of basmati broken for Kohat, 360 tonnes each of both qualities for Lahore-I and same quantity for Lahore-II, 72 tonnes super basmati and 36 tonnes broken for Larkana and 72 tonnes super basmati and 96 tonnes broken for Nawabshah.

Likewise, USC has demanded for Peshawar-I and Peshawar-II, 360 tonnes each of both for Rawalpindi.

Muhammad Azhar Akhtar said that REAP was ready to play its role for providing domestic consumers rice at affordable rates and had even planned to open its own fair price shops in the near future to provide branded rice to local consumers at reasonable rates, which is also bound to generate employment, he added.

Talking about the increasing prices of rice, causing problems for both exporters and local consumers, he added that if the government wanted to end this practice it will have to eliminate the role of hoarders and middle-men.