By Ayesha Saba

Pakistan’s rice export support enters a new phase with a Rs20 billion federal budget allocation for the FY2026-27 exporters’ competitiveness scheme, boosting implementation funding.

According to the Export Development Fund’s Performance Review FY2025-26, available with Wealth Pakistan, Rs8 billion was released for ready-for-payment cases by end-June against Rs13.2 billion claims submitted by exporters.

The latest measures build on the scheme’s earlier support structure, under which assistance was set at 9% of FOB value for basmati rice and 3% for non-basmati rice.

The new Board has extended the original shipment deadline from June 30, 2026 to September 30, 2026, or until claims submitted under the scheme reach Rs20 billion.

The extension provides exporters with additional time to benefit from the scheme, and is accompanied by an increase in the DLTL (Drawback of Local Taxes and Levies) rate for non-basmati rice from 3% to 5%, enhancing support for exporters in this segment.

Significant progress had already been recorded by the end of June. According to the document, rice exporters had submitted Rs13.2 billion in claims up to June 30, 2026.

Of these, the EDF released Rs8 billion on June 29, 2026 for ready-for-payment claims, indicating that a substantial portion of the submitted claims had already moved into the disbursement stage.

The document further states that a request was sent to the Finance Division for allocation of Rs20 billion from the Federal Consolidated Fund (FCF) during the execution of the scheme up to June 2026.

The latest budgetary allocation, deadline extension and higher support rate for non-basmati rice signal continued policy support for improving the competitiveness of Pakistani rice exporters.

With the federal government budgeting Rs20 billion for the EDF against the scheme in FY2026-27 and the shipment window now extended through the end of September, exporters have been provided with additional room to qualify for and submit claims under the export-support mechanism.

Credit: INP-WealthPk