Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan facts for kids
The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) is an important group in Pakistan. It was started in 1988-1989 with help from different government departments. REAP helps make sure that rice from Pakistan is good quality. In 1992, they helped create the first official rules for Pakistani rice.
All companies that export rice from Pakistan must be members of REAP since 1998-1999. REAP has a special committee that helps manage its work. This committee is split into two parts, one for the northern areas and one for the southern areas.
What REAP Has Achieved
REAP is one of the biggest business groups in Pakistan, with about 1900 members. When REAP first started in 1988-1989, its members exported over 2 million tons of rice. That's a huge amount of rice!
In 1992, REAP invited countries from the Persian Gulf region to Pakistan. These included buyers from Kuwait, Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. During that time, about 36,000 tons of rice were exported by private companies.
REAP also worked with the European Commission in 1996-1997. They helped lower the taxes on Pakistani Super and Kernel Basmati Brown rice. This made it easier for Pakistan to sell its special Basmati rice to Europe. Pakistan now sells about 60,000 tons of Basmati rice to Europe each year.
Other Important Activities
REAP does more than just export rice. They also hold special meetings and training workshops. These events teach farmers, rice processors, and traders new ways to grow and handle rice. They learn how to solve problems, like controlling pests such as the Khapra beetle that can harm rice crops.
Pakistan's rice exports grew a lot in 2009-2010, by 57 percent. In 2009, REAP exported Basmati rice for about $825 per ton. This was less than the $1,102 per ton it sold for the year before. By 2010, Pakistan was exporting rice to 109 different countries around the world.
In 2012, Pakistan's rice exports reached over 3.7 million tons. This was worth about $2.08 billion. Basmati rice was sold for about $871 per ton, and other types of rice for about $448 per ton.
