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Pakistan beats Indian variety US team coming to sign Pak basmati import accord

ASIF FAROOQI

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of US importers is arriving here to sign import agreements with exporters of basmati rice, which has successfully competed with the Indian variety in the US market, trade sources said.

Led by Ishtiaq Javed, representative of one of the big rice importers in the United States, Halee Internatrional Importers, the US importers are likely to visit all major towns in the country in search of good quality basmati rice.

Pakistani rice, under the brand name of 'Mughal Karnal Basmati' has dramatically captured the US market during the last few months while competing with India's Tilda quality, sources said.

Official sources said that US Food Department has appreciated and encouraged Halee International Importers for introducing best quality rice in the US market. Exporting counterpart of the US firm is Ghareeb Sons Private Ltd that is likely to export 3,600 tonnes basmati rice to US this fiscal year.

The reason for beating the Indian, variety is not only the quality of the Pakistani rice but that the 'Mughal' brand is far cheaper than its competitor variety, sources said.

The US importers believe that the good quality of Pakistani rice has further opened up the US market for Pakistan.

A representative of Halee International, Habibur Rehman, told Business Recorder that the firm was really much interested in importing Pakistani rice and, if supported by the exporters and the government, it could completely eliminate the Indian variety from the US market.

Figures show that Pakistan's rice exports are touching new heights which increased by 7.35 percent in the first seven months of this fiscal year. The country has exported 933,103 tonnes rice, to generate $279.921 million (Rs 14.479 billion), during July-January, 1999-2000.