DAMMAM: A 15-member delegation of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) is in the Kingdom to promote rice exports to Saudi Arabia. The delegation members met major Saudi rice importers in the Eastern Province and also had one-on-one meetings with leading rice dealers here.

Having a bumper rice crop of 6.5 million tons this year, Pakistan plans to export 4 million tons. Today, Pakistan is the third largest rice exporter in the world after Thailand and Vietnam and ahead of US and India, Rahim Janoo, REAP chairman underlined this in his meetings with Saudi rice importers. Pakistani rice, both basmati and the non-basmati varieties are currently exported to 89 countries of the world.

During the first eight months of the fiscal year, Pakistan earned $1.4 billion from rice exports and by the end of the year in June, its rice exports are expected to touch $2.2 billion mark. For the year 2010, Pakistan has set a rice export target of $2.4 billion.

Until the previous decade, Pakistan was a major rice exporter to the Kingdom. Its market share of Basmati rice was more than fifty percent – 54 percent to be exact – claims Janoo. However, since then, parboiled rice consumption increased in the Kingdom and Pakistan lost the market on that count.

Saudi Arabia is a strategic market for Pakistani rice and in order to expand its share here, Pakistan has set up 200 most modern parboiling mills in the country. Around 20-25 additional mills are in the process of being installed in Karachi alone. These mills are capable of meeting all the requirements of Saudi buyers, said Janoo.

The Pakistani rice exporters intend to follow up their current visit with aggressive marketing campaign. They intend to hold single-country exhibitions in various parts of the Kingdom. They also plan to regularly visit the Kingdom to follow up on the current deliberations.

The delegation is expected to meet major Saudi rice importers in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah during its visit there.