Mr. Safder Mehkri and senior members of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) along with Mr. Syed Hamid Raza and Mr. Zulfiqar Ali from PAC presented the REAP-PAC program of doubling rice exports by 2023 to the Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Supply and Prices, Sindh.
The REAP-PAC program consists of key on-farm interventions such as provision of better seed, mechanical nursery sowing and transplantation and mechanical harvesting as well as setting up of quality drying and storage facilities, to increase rice productivity and quality.
Mr. Mehkri shared that Garibsons Consortium led by Garibsons Pvt. Ltd., Conwill Pakistan, RB International and INB Rice along with Jaffer Agro Services Pvt. Ltd., has already imported the required farm machinery and hired service providers from Punjab to conduct pilot projects in Districts Thatta and Badin.
Mr. Mehkri also highlighted the crucial support required from the Government of Sindh in implementing this program over 1.7 million acres of rice cultivation area in Sindh.
Mr. Rahu acknowledged the importance of the REAP-PAC program in improving farmer profitability, reducing rural poverty and increasing national rice exports and pledged full support to the program.
