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Iran to import 15,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Iran will import 15,000 tonnes of Irri-9 rice from Pakistan at the rate of 229 dollars per tonne FOB, Karachi.

The Iranian authorities held out an assurance to a rice exporters delegation, led by chairman of the Trading Cooperation of Pakistan Mohammad Javed Ashraf Hussain that the shipment of this quantity would be an initial transaction and hopefully it would lead to further deals in the near future, according to a press release issued by the TCP on Thursday.

The press release said: The trade delegation led by the chairman, visited Iran from January 3 to 6 to discuss the possibility of exporting rice to Iran.

The other members of the delegation were M Siddiq Alvi, Director General, Export Promotion Bureau; Shahzad Ali Malik, Chairman, Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan; Mian Waqar Aziz, Hamid Ahmed Garib, Nasir Ilyas, Irfan Ahmad Shaikh, Maqbool Ahmad Tariq, Zafar Ahmad and Shahid Tawawala.

The delegation held a number of meetings with the officials of the two concerned Iranian organisations namely Commercial Services Development Company (CSDC) and Government Trading Corporation of Iran (GTC).

At the initial stages of discussions/negotiations, the Iranian authorities expressed their deep concern and dissatisfaction over the conduct and alleged unethical practices of the Pakistani private exporters of rice to Iran in the recent past.

However, the Pakistani delegation was able to satisfy the Iranian authorities that in future, the Iranian Government will not be confronted with the unpleasant experience that they faced during the last few years.

The Pakistani delegation further assured the Iranian authorities that the quality and other specifications of rice to be exported to Iran would be maintained strictly according to the mutually agreed standards and that the schedule of shipment, etc, will also be strictly adhered to.