MULTAN: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam on Monday said that surplus stock of rice would be exported whereas the government was exploring new markets globally.
“The country has stock of over 8 million tonnes of rice, while local consumption is nearly 3.5 MT,” he said while talking to media-persons at a ceremony at the Agriculture University.
Imam said that is struggling hard to improve rice exports worth $4 billion and that he had discussed the matter with Advisor on Commerce Razak Dawood.
Speaking about on value-addition of agriculture and livestock products, especially milk, he hinted that Pakistan was seventh largest producer of milk in the country. However, its value addition is only 30 per cent.
“Value-addition of agricultural products can also help earn huge foreign exchange,” Fakhar remarked.
He also said that the country’s per acre wheat production increased by one to two maund per acre and maintained that efforts were being done to improve per acre production of the wheat further. “In case the government succeeds in further enhancing two to three maund per acre, it will be a very good addition to the total production,” he said.
About the urea fertiliser issue, the minister observed that there was no issue of production; however, there was problem of distribution and supply which the Punjab government was trying to resolve.
‘he hinted that Pakistan was seventh largest producer of milk in the country’, the reporter should write world instead of country.