HYDERABAD: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has complained that the support price of IRRI-6 crop of rice has reduced to Rs 750 to Rs 800 per maund due to manipulation by the middlemen and hoarders.
A meeting of the SCA here Sunday, which was also attended through the video link by representatives of farmers from Karachi, Ghotki, Sukkur, Larkana and Sanghar districts, expressed deep concern over the financial losses being caused to the rice growers.
The meeting, which was chaired by SCA President Dr Syed Nadeem Qamar, demanded of Sindh Government to enforce the official procurement rate of Rs 900 for the IRRI-6 rice and stop exploitation of the farmers.
The meeting further asked the provincial government to increase the official support price to Rs.1,000 so that the farmers could recover their losses and feel encouraged to sow rice in the next season.The meeting observed that Pakistan exports of rice fetch $2 billion adding that share of IRRI-6 rice alone was $1.3 billion in the net rice exports.
“But for last 3 years the IRRI-6 rice growers haven’t been getting the right price which is discouraging many farmers from growing this high export potential crop,” said Dr Qamar. He expressed concern that the exports of rice could drop if the downward trend in the support price of rice continued.
“Sindh is the only province where IRRI-6 rice is produced. But I fear a reduction in sowing of the IRRI-6 crop next year,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the meeting also urged the government to ensure that the sugar mills begin the purchase of sugarcane from November 15 as was decided in a recent meeting chaired by Sindh Agriculture Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal.
The SCA’s General Secretary Nabi Bux Sathio and other office bearers including Zahid Ali Bhurgari, Mohammad Khan Sarejo, Ghulam Hussain Chachar, Babu Shah, Siraj Rashdi and others attended the meeting.
