ISLAMABAD - A delegation of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), will undertake a visit to Sri Lanka next month to explore the possibility of expanding export of Pakistan’s rice to that country.
REAP said a three-member delegation of REAP, led by its acting chairman Rafique Suleman, held a meeting with Consul General of Sri Lanka in Karachi G L Gnanatheva to discuss the forthcoming visit of the REAP delegation to Sri Lanka.
The acting chairman REAP Rafique Suleman, while discussing the details of the visit of the association to Sri Lank, told the Sri Lankan Consul General that the visit has been arranged on the invitation from Pakistani High Commission in Colombo, who had asked the REAP to send a delegation to Sri Lanka to further promote trade ties between the two countries.
He said presently Sri Lanka is facing shortage of rice and interested to import rice from Pakistan due to its high standard and international quality.
“This year we are having a good quality crop of Basmati and Irri-6 rice and we can export good quantity of rice with competitive prices to many countries including Sri Lanka, “ said Rafique Suleman.
He said a 15-members REAP’s trade delegation will visit to Sri Lanka in next month.
During the visit, this delegation will have meetings with President of Sri Lanka, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ministers for Trade, Commerce, Transport as well as officials of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce & National Chamber of Commerce, Colombo and leading rice importers. “We will also discuss to increase the Basmati rice quota which is stagnant to 6,000 metric tons since many years,” he added.
