Govt taking right steps for rice production, export.

In the world, experts recorded that rice is the most significant human food crop, directly feeding more people than any other crop. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the total rice production globally stood nearly 755 million metric tonnes in 2018. According to the international sources, the global hybrid rice seeds market size is estimated to reach USD 5.43 billion by 2027 owing to the rising concerns regarding food security worldwide.

The global market value was USD 2.06 billion in 2019 and is expected to register a CAGR of 13.32 percent from 2020 to 2027. Sources also recorded that Asia Pacific led the worldwide market in 2019 with a market value of USD 1.84 billion. The High production of hybrid rice seeds in states counting China, India, Vietnam, and Thailand is predicted to propel the demand in the region. Furthermore, the market in the Middle East and Africa is estimated to showcase robust growth during the forecast period. The primary factor expected to drive the demand in the region is the introduction of the modern technologies for the development and processing of hybrid rice seeds.

No doubt, rice is 3rd most significant crop of Pakistan, which covers an area of 2.89 million hectares, with milled rice production of 7.44 million tons. This crop is unique because it can grow in wet environments that other crops cannot survive in. It is said that such wet environments are abundant across Asia mainly in Pakistan. The domestication of rice ranks as one of the most significant developments in history and now thousands of rice varieties are cultivated on every continent except Antarctica. Despite having more glaciers than anywhere else in the world and its location in the Indus River Basin, Pakistan unluckily continues to experience acute water scarcity, mainly driven through drought and intensive agriculture.

The country has an extensive agriculture sector, which uses flood procedures of irrigation to grow water-intensive crops. In Pakistan, water infrastructure is outdated and in poor situation, which wastes even more water, while little is stored due to a lack of reservoirs and sediment build-up in existing facilities. It is also said that the latest mechanical harvesting of basmati rice varieties at the premature stage is common, leading to increased post-harvest losses and infestation of microbial organisms in the paddy because of storage facilities and inappropriate drying.

According to the...