STAFF REPORT ISB: Pakistans Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) has set a target of 6.81 million tons of rice (basis milled) production from an area of 2.78 million hectares for the next crop.
According to local sources, of the 6.81 million tons rice production target, the Punjab province is expected to account for 3.5 million tons, Sindh for 2.6 million tons, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for 100,000 tons and Balochistan for around 600,000 tons.
Pakistan is among the worlds top five rice exporters.
According to the USDA, Pakistans rice production in 2013-14 is estimated at around 6.4 million tons from a cultivated area of around 2.7 million hectares.
Pakistans rice exports in 2013-14 are estimated at around 3.4 million tons. Local sources say that the Guangdong Grain sector in China is interested to increase rice imports from Pakistan and has offered training and technology support to rice farmers in Pakistan to improve production in Pakistan.