ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has earned $4.637 billion approximately by exporting good quality of coarse rice during the year from 2010-11 to 2013-14, whereas country earned $3.269 billion by exporting basmati rice during same period.
According to SAARC BIZ Report, the foreign exchange earned by exporting the coarse rice was 41.84 percent higher than the exports of basmati rice during the period under review.
It said that about one third of the rice area in the country was under coarse rice and its production can be doubled by replacing with the hybrid rice.
The report said that there was scope to introduce hybrid rice in Sindh, Balochistan and Southern Punjab as with adoption of hybrid rice the production would be increase manifold and will add billion of rupees in the income of farmers as well as national economy.
It said that trend of increase in rice hybrids during 2000-2012 54 rice hybrids of 24 seed companies have been recommended where as in 2013, 72 hybrids of 28 seed companies are being evaluated in national uniform trials.
The report said that hybrid rice crop can be successfully grown in stress areas, like saline, drought and water logging as compared to inbred varieties.
