With the end of the harvesting period of the rice crop in the country, Pakistan is looking to export 3.6 million tons of rice, of which 20% will account for basmati rice, worldwide this year.
Pakistani exporters have some reservations about exporting rice this time around because it has come to their notice that Indian traders are selling Pakistani rice across the world with a “made in India” tag.
Speaking in this regard, Managing Director (MD) Chiragh Group of Companies, Khaleel Ahmed said that the Indian traders, mostly based in the Middle East, buy rice from Pakistan in bulk.
However, these traders remove all the traces of the rice being from Pakistan and expertly repackage the rice with a “made in India” tag, taking away a significant amount of foreign exchange from Pakistan’s share.
Meanwhile, the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has taken a large of Indian rice trading companies to an international court for rebranding and selling a Pakistani product under their label.
When contacted for a comment regarding the progress on the proceedings of the case, a spokesperson for REAP refused to issue a statement on the matter, citing it to be sub judice.
Via: DW