Pakistan has told Turkiye that it is fully prepared to supply both Basmati and non-Basmati rice at internationally competitive prices, with a focus on increasing export volumes rather than maximizing prices in order to protect farmer incomes and sustain the agricultural value chain.
The assurance was given by Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan during a meeting with Turkish Ambassador Dr Irfan Nezirolu. The meeting was held on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has asked the commerce ministry to intensify efforts to boost agricultural exports, particularly rice, amid rising global competition.
The federal minister said Pakistan has recorded an excellent paddy harvest this season, ensuring strong quality and sufficient exportable surplus. However, he noted that aggressive pricing strategies adopted by competing exporters, especially India and Vietnam, have created challenges in global markets and placed downward pressure on prices, despite Pakistan maintaining healthy export volumes.
He told the Turkish side that the government, in consultation with rice exporters and industry stakeholders, has put in place a price support mechanism to maintain competitiveness. Under this approach, Pakistan is prepared to match prevailing international prices so buyers do not face cost disadvantages when sourcing rice from Pakistan.
Both sides discussed activating government to government trade channels alongside existing private sector arrangements. Under the proposed framework, Pakistan’s state trading entities would coordinate with relevant Turkish public and private institutions, including state owned grain procurement bodies, to facilitate bulk purchases where price competitiveness is ensured.
The commerce minister also raised market access concerns, including tariff rate quotas, import licensing procedures, and the possibility of zero or reduced tariffs on Basmati rice. He called for better utilization and potential expansion of the existing 18,000 metric ton tariff rate quota available under the Pakistan Turkiye Preferential Trade Agreement, noting that the quota has remained underutilized due to procedural bottlenecks.
The Turkish ambassador reaffirmed Turkiye’s interest in deepening economic engagement with Pakistan. He said bilateral trade remains well below its potential despite strong political relations and recalled the $5 billion bilateral trade target set during meetings of the Pakistan Turkiye High Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
Both sides agreed that greater engagement between business communities is needed to unlock trade potential. It was decided that trade delegations, exhibitions, and business to business interactions would be encouraged to improve awareness of commercial opportunities.
It was also agreed that technical delegations would meet in the coming weeks to take forward discussions on rice trade, expansion of the preferential trade agreement, and broader cooperation in agriculture, food processing, and value added rice products, including parboiled rice.
Rice remains Pakistan’s second largest agricultural export after textiles, with shipments exceeding $3 billion annually. The government has been seeking to diversify export markets and reduce reliance on traditional buyers, as competition intensifies and global prices remain volatile.