Pakistan sold a lot more rice to China in early 2026. Exports touched $45.19 million in the first quarter, up from just $7.39 million during the same months last year. That’s a jump of 511%, based on data from China’s customs department.
What’s driving the jump
- Milled rice sales crossed $33.60 million, up from around $6 million a year earlier. Pakistan shipped 92 million kilograms at an average price of $0.36 per kg.
- Broken rice sales crossed $7.89 million, up from just $78,000 the year before.
- Beijing bought the most milled rice, 79.56 million kilograms worth $28.7 million. Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hunan, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Hubei provinces also bought in.
A new rice type could push sales even higher
Punjab University and Wuhan University spent ten years working on a new rice variety together. It’s called PU-786, and it’s now approved by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council.
Here’s why farmers are interested:
- It can yield up to 140 maunds per acre, close to three times what older varieties give.
- It holds up well against heat, pests, and bacterial disease.
- It grows even where water is short or soil is worn out.
Punjab University signed a deal with Pesticon Seeds in March 2026 to sell PU-786 seeds across the country, so more farmers can start growing it.
How big could this get
Industry estimates put China’s rice market at up to $1.5 billion for Pakistani hybrid rice. That number isn’t locked in, it depends on how well Pakistani exporters meet China’s quality and food safety rules. But the early figures from this year point in the right direction.
Where Pakistan’s rice trade stands overall
Rice remains one of Pakistan’s top farm exports. In FY2024-25, the country shipped 5.82 million tonnes of rice worth $3.35 billion, and non-basmati rice made up more than 86% of that total. Growing sales to China could help balance out slower demand from other buyers.
