Pakistan’s Rice Export To China Crossed $400 Million In 2021

Pakistan is one of the major rice suppliers to China. In the year 2021, the exports crossed $400 million. The report was issued by the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC). According to the report, the supply of rice to China by Pakistan increased by 133% to more than $400 million during the last year. In the initial five months of the fiscal year 2020-21, Pakistan was the largest rice source to China. The restrictions imposed by China on Pakistani imports were eased along with 7 more rice exporting countries. The commercial Counselor of the Pakistan Embassy Beijing, Badar uz Zaman aims higher in the incoming year. He says that he aims to achieve one million tons of rice to be imported in China from Pakistan.

Badar uz Zaman told China Economic Net that Pakistan is the 3^rd largest rice supplier to China. He further added that awareness was being spread about Pakistani rice to increase the market. In order to spread awareness different platforms are being used and apparently, the idea is working. He is also trying to convince the Chinese government to use saline lands and coastal districts for rice cultivation.

The Demand For Pakistani Rice

A Pakistani restaurant manager Miss Xie says that Chinese come to her restaurant to enjoy Pakistani rice. She says that the fragrance and taste of Pakistani rice are different from that of Chinese rice and that’s what brings the customers back to her restaurant. Another restaurant owner in China, Asif Jalil says that “The quantity of Pakistani rice exported to China at this moment does not represent the demand from local consumers. It only tells that we let some consumers try Pakistani rice. When this export grows over a certain period, then basically we will be able to see the number of returning consumers to rightly quantify the growth in demand for Pakistan.”

How To Increase Export

Due to Covid-19, the shipping costs have gone very high and that is one of the reservations that the Pakistani exporters have. If the Chinese government decides to give some incentives, in terms of cost and convenience, the supply of rice may further go up. The rice that has been exported to China includes broken rice, IRRI-6, IRRI-9, and wholly milled rice. The main types of rice are yet to be introduced to the Chinese consumers. These include Basmati and other good quality rice that are predicted to have a big market in China.