End-Nov sees 14% decrease in rice imports
Published on: December 11, 2023.
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RICE imports in Pakistan have seen a decrease in volume compared to the previous year. According to data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), inbound shipments totaled 3.03 million metric tons (MT) as of November 30, which is a 14 percent decrease from the 3.5 million MT recorded the previous year.
In November alone, rice imports reached 196,834.15 MT, with the highest imports peaking in April at 516,895.173 MT. Vietnam remains the top source of rice for the country, accounting for 2.68 million MT or 88.6 percent of total imports. Thailand followed with 161,990.67 MT, Myanmar with 127,818 MT, and Pakistan with 34,625.21 MT. India also contributed with 13,734.79 MT of rice.
Other countries, including Cambodia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Italy, and Spain, collectively made up the remaining volume of 6,713.12 MT.
The BPI also reported that from January to November, they approved about 4,186 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs). In the period of November 1-16, the BPI approved 604 SPSICs, allowing an import volume of 484,379.79 MT of rice.
To ensure compliance and proper use of permits, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has shortened the effectivity of SPSICs. A memorandum circular issued on December 4 by the DA stated that the product/consignment must be shipped out within 30 days from the date the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance is issued, regardless of the country of origin.
Previously, traders had up to 60 days to ship in products from Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries, except Myanmar, and 90 days for countries including Myanmar. The rule change is in line with efforts to ensure sufficient supply and buffer stocks of rice in the market.
For more information, visit the source article on The Manila Times website.
