Rice production in Pakistan

Last updated January 06, 2024

Pakistan holds a significant position in the global rice market and is one of the leading rice-producing countries. The rice sector is crucial for the country's economy, providing livelihoods to a substantial portion of the population and contributing substantially to agricultural exports.

Pakistan is the world's 10th largest producer of rice. Pakistan's exports make up more than 8% of the world's total rice trade.^[1] It is an important crop in the agriculture economy of Pakistan. Rice is an important Kharif crop.

In 2019, Pakistan produced 7.5 million tonnes of rice and ranked 10th in the largest rice-producing countries. Guard Basmati Rice is the oldest and most famous brand of Guard Agricultural Research and Services Limited the first private sector company with its own Rice Research and Development (R&D) facility in Pakistan. In 2016/17, Pakistan produced 6.7 million tonnes, of which around 4 million were exported, mainly to neighbouring countries, the Middle East and Africa. Rice is grown in fertile lands of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan regions where millions of farmers rely on rice cultivation as their major source of employment. Among the most famous varieties grown in Pakistan include the Basmati, known for its flavour and quality. Pakistan is a major producer of this variety.^[2]

Production Volume: Pakistan is a major producer of rice, with a diverse range of varieties including Basmati and non-Basmati rice. The country's total rice production is substantial, contributing significantly to global rice output.

Export Performance: Rice exports constitute a vital component of Pakistan's overall export earnings. The country is particularly renowned for its high-quality Basmati rice, which enjoys demand in international markets. Exports of non-Basmati rice also contribute substantially to foreign exchange earnings.

Cultivation and Varieties: Rice is cultivated across various regions of Pakistan, with different provinces specializing in the production of specific varieties. Basmati rice, famous for its aroma and long grain, is predominantly grown in the Punjab region. Sindh and other areas are known for the production of non-Basmati rice.

Government Initiatives: The government of Pakistan has implemented various policies and initiatives to support the rice sector. These include measures to improve infrastructure, enhance research and development, and facilitate access to credit for farmers.

Global Market Dynamics: Pakistan's rice industry is influenced by global market trends, including changes in demand, international prices, and trade policies of key importing countries. Monitoring and adapting to these dynamics are crucial for sustaining and expanding the country's rice exports.

Pakistan’s basmati rice is loved & celebrated for its unique aroma and long grains, making it a staple in local cuisine. With varieties like Super Basmati and Basmati 1121, it has earned global acclaim, contributing significantly to Pakistan's agricultural economy. Efforts for Geographical Indication (GI) status aim to preserve its authenticity. As a key player in the Basmati rice market, Pakistan ensures quality control for exports, emphasizing its cultural and economic importance.

As per Rice Exporter Association of Pakistan (REAP), the country is expecting a bumper rice crop there will be sufficient stocks available for export. Pakistan achieved $2.7 billion worth of rice exports during FY23, while this year exports will achieve a new record level, having the trade deficit also decreased by 4.5% during the same period. Rice exports likely to touch $3bn mark this fiscal year. In addition, Pakistani rice’s demand has increased in the world market due to ban on rice exports by India.

During the last fiscal year, Pakistan’s rice industry truly came to appreciate the power of price effect. Although export volume was the lowest in a decade – at 3.6 million metric tons of all rice varieties exported – export receipts were second-highest during the same period, and just 14 percent below the peak achieved during the previous year. Unit price of exports was up 16 percent on average during FY23.

Production:

Land area: 3.15 million hectares (11.7% of total cultivated area)
Production (milled rice): 9.32 million tonnes (2021/2022) and 5.50 million tonnes (2022/2023)
Yield: 3.6 MTs/ha (5-year average)
Contribution to GDP: 0.6%
Contribution to agricultural value added: 3.0%

Exports:

Value: US$2.7 billion (2022-2023)
Expected growth rate: 7.48% (CAGR 2023-2028)
Volume: 4.5 million tonnes (2022-2023)
Expected volume growth: 0.3% (2024
Major markets: Africa, Middle East, Europe

Opportunities:

Growing global demand:
Shifting consumer preferences: Increasing demand for high-quality rice like Basmati
Value addition: Focusing on export of processed rice instead of raw grains
Sustainable practices: Implementing water-saving techniques and climate-resilient crop varieties.

Hafizabad is known as “City of Rice” and is the biggest rice market in which following types of rice are cultivated: Basmati 385. Basmati 386. Super Karnal.

Related Research Articles

Basmati, pronounced['bɑːsmət̪iː], is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in the Indian subcontinent, mainly India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. As of 2019, India accounted for 65% of the international trade in basmati rice, while Pakistan accounted for the remaining 35%. Many countries use domestically grown basmati rice crops; however, basmati is geographically exclusive to certain districts of India and Pakistan.

Roughly one-third of Iran's total surface area is suited for farmland, but because of poor soil and lack of adequate water distribution in many areas, most of it is not under cultivation. Only 12% of the total land area is under cultivation but less than one-third of the cultivated area is irrigated; the rest is devoted to dryland farming. Some 92 percent of agricultural products depend on water. The western and northwestern portions of the country have the most fertile soils. Iran's food security index stands at around 96 percent.

China primarily produces rice, wheat, potatoes, tomato, sorghum, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, cotton, oilseed, corn and soybeans.

The primary form of agriculture in Sri Lanka is rice production. Rice is cultivated during Maha and Yala seasons. Tea is cultivated in the central highlands and is a major source of foreign exchange. Vegetables, fruits and oilseed crops are also cultivated in the country. There are two Agriculture Parks abbreviated as A. Parks established by the Department of Agriculture. Out of the total population in Sri Lanka, 27.1% engages in agricultural activities. Agriculture accounted for 7.4% of the GDP in 2020.

Agriculture is the largest employment sector in Bangladesh, making up 14.2 percent of Bangladesh's GDP in 2017 and employing about 42.7 percent of the workforce. The performance of this sector has an overwhelming impact on major macroeconomic objectives like employment generation, poverty alleviation, human resources development, food security, and other economic and social forces. A plurality of Bangladeshis earn their living from agriculture. Due to a number of factors, Bangladesh's labour-intensive agriculture has achieved steady increases in food grain production despite the often unfavorable weather conditions. These include better flood control and irrigation, a generally more efficient use of fertilisers, as well as the establishment of better distribution and rural credit networks.

Agriculture is considered the backbone of Pakistan's economy, which relies heavily on its major crops. Pakistan's principal natural resources are arable land and water. Agriculture accounts for about 18.9% of Pakistan's GDP and employs about 42.3% of the labour force. The most agricultural province is Punjab where wheat & cotton are the most grown. Mango orchards are mostly found in Sindh and Punjab provinces, making it the world's fourth largest producer of mangoes.

Agriculture is one of the main industries in Taiwan. It contributes to the food security, rural development and conservation of Taiwan. Around 24% of Taiwan's land is used for farming.

Agriculture in Sudan plays an important role in that country's economy. Agriculture and livestock raising are the main sources of livelihood for most of the Sudanese population. It was estimated that, as of 2011, 80 percent of the labor force were employed in that sector, including 84 percent of the women and 64 percent of the men.

Rice production in Thailand represents a significant portion of the Thai economy and labor force. In 2017, the value of all Thai rice traded was 174.5 billion baht, about 12.9% of all farm production. Of the 40% of Thais who work in agriculture, 16 million of them are rice farmers by one estimate.

Rice production in China is the amount of rice planted, grown, and harvested for consumption in the mainland of China.

Rice production in India is an important part of the national economy.

Rice production in South Korea is important for the food supply in the country, with rice being a common part of the Korean diet. In 2009, South Korea produced 3,899,036 metric tonnes of rice.
Rice is the most valuable crop in South Korea. However, as noted by Donald S. Macdonald, rising wage levels and land values have made it expensive to produce. Rice represented about 90 percent of total grain production and over 40 percent of farm income; the 1988 rice crop was 6.5 million tonnes. Rice was imported in the 1980s, but the amount depended on the success of domestic harvests. The government's rice support program reached a record of US$1.9 billion in 1986 compared to $890 million in 1985. By raising procurement prices by 14 percent to the 1986 level, Seoul achieved a rice price structure that was about five times that of the world market in 1987.

Agriculture in Spain is important to the national economy. The primary sector activities accounting for agriculture, husbandry, fishing and silviculture represented a 2.7% of the Spanish GDP in 2017, with an additional 2.5% represented by the agrofood industry.

Pusa Basmati 1121 is an independently derived Basmati rice variety, evolved through the process of hybridization over a long breeding process. This variety of basmati rice was developed by Padma Shri awardee Dr Vijaipal Singh at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. It was released for commercial cultivation in Kharif season of 2003 as Pusa 1121. By 2007, the variety has become widely popular with farmers, and was renamed as Pusa Basmati 1121 in 2008. It holds the world record for highest kernel elongation on cooking.

Rice production is the fourth largest among cereals in the United States, after corn, wheat, and sorghum. Of the country's row crop farms, rice farms are the most capital-intensive, and have the highest national land rental rate average. In the US, all rice acreage requires irrigation. In 2000-09 approximately 3.1 million acres in the US were under rice production; an increase was expected over the next decade to approximately 3.3 million acres. USA Rice represents rice producers in the six largest rice-producing states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalanamak rice</span> Indian rice variety

Kalanamak is a scented rice of Nepal and India. Its name means black husk. This variety has been in cultivation since the original Buddhist period. It is popular in Himalayan Tarai of Nepal i.e., Kapilvastu, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, where it is known as the scented black pearl. It was featured in the book Speciality rices of the world by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Cotton production in Pakistan is integral to the economic development of the country. The nation is largely dependent on the cotton industry and its related textile sector, and the crop has been given a principal status in the country. Cotton is grown as an industrial crop in 15% of the nation's land during the monsoon months of April-May, known as the Kharif period, and is grown at a smaller scale between February and April. Pakistan occupied the fourth position among the cotton growers of the world, the first three being India, China and USA.

Katarni rice is a unique tasting, aromatic, short grain rice grown in India, in the state of Bihar. Grown natively in the Bhagalpur and Banka districts, Katarni rice is not only in demand in Bihar, but throughout the country.

Paw san hmwe is a high-grade variety of aromatic rice grown in Myanmar. Paw hsan hmwe is known for its good cooking quality, fragrant aroma, texture, good milling recovery, and substantial grain elongation during the cooking process. The medium-length grains of this rice variety can elongate up to three times in length while cooking. Paw hsan hmwe has intermediate amylose content, higher than jasmine rice, contributing to its hardness quality in line with Burmese consumer preferences. Myanmar's Paw San rice is one of the world's most recognized high quality rice, it was awarded the world's best rice at the Rice Trader's World Rice Conference in 2011. Paw San rice has a similar aroma, grain quality and eating quality to the reputable aromatic rice varieties of the world, namely Basmati of India and Pakistan and Jasmine of Thailand. It has a strong aroma similar to Jasmine rice and

Rice production in Myanmar accounts for approximately 43% of total agricultural production in the country, making it the seventh largest producer of rice in the world. Out of 67.6 million hectares of land, 12.8 million are used for cultivation. In 2019 alone, Myanmar accounted for 13,300 million metric tons of milled rice production.

References

↑ "Grain: World Markets and Trade" (PDF). USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. May 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
↑ "Pakistan - grain and feed annual" (PDF). USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. 4 March 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2018.

This agriculture article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This Pakistan-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Grain: World Markets and Trade" (PDF). USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. May 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.

[2] "Pakistan - grain and feed annual" (PDF). USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. 4 March 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2018.

[1]

[2]