KARACHI - The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (Unisame) has urged the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to increase exports of high potential commodities by guiding exporters and facilitating them to enter overseas markets vigorously.

UNISAME President Zulfikar Thaver said that TDAP should not rest on laurels that the rice export target has been met but realise that Basmati rice exports have fallen and Pakistan has lost market of aromatic rice due to uncompetitive and marketing skill deficits of rice exporters.
The targets have been achieved with the export of non-Basmati rice and that to because of the increase in prices of commodity and actually the volume of exports is reduced.
He said the Indian exporters have popularised their brands in Middle East and European countries and also USA whilst our exporters have not focused on their own brands but have been selling rice to the buyers under their logos.
The Pakistani exporters need to promote their brands with attractive packing under their own brands with brand development skills and marketing techniques. The TDAP needs to enlighten the exporters on the subject of branding, marketing, warehousing, supply chains for prompt deliveries to the chain stores and mere arranging delegations and visits does not help as it is reported that delegations taken by TDAP are more like picnics and lack serious business, he added.
The Union invited the attention of TDAP to vast scope for Pakistani rice, wheat, maize and sugar which are of international grades and if proper marketing guidelines are given to the exporters they can penetrate into markets and earn handsomely as we are not exporting even half of what we can export by virtue of our superior quality.