LARKANA: The issue of fixing paddy rates has not yet been resolved by the Sindh’s Agriculture Department despite that fresh crop has already started reaching markets.
The Sindh government last year fixed the rate of Rs 900 per 40 kilograms but the traders and rice millers are reluctant to pay this price to the tillers who are undergoing huge losses on the account of escalating prices. Agriculture Minister Suhail Siyal is holding a meeting of all relevant parties in Karachi today (Monday) in which rice mill owners and growers’ representatives are expected to take part to decide on the issue.
On the other hand, Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has announced that if their genuine demands are not accepted they will come out on roads and hold protest demonstrations after 10th Muharram-ul-Haram. Sirajul Oliya Rashidi of SCA told Daily Times that currently the peasants are given between Rs 650 to 680 per 40kg instead of fixed price of Rs 900, and nobody is there to hold traders and millers accountable for this injustice to poor growers.
Rashidi added that growers spend over Rs 750 per 40 kg then how they can sell their commodity at such low rates. He said due to this issue in last two years many tillers have left their field works and are doing other labor jobs to earn livelihood for their families. He said Punjab tillers are getting better prices than their counterparts in Sindh. He said they hope that National Assembly Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah will also participate in their protests as he did for the tillers of Punjab.
