HYDERABAD, Nov 24: Sindh Abadgar Board president Abdul Majeed Nizamani has expressed surprise at Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Supply Corporation (Pasco) decision to establish more paddy procurement centres in four districts of upper Sindh.

In a statement, he said that Balochistan and four districts of lower Sindh — Badin, Thatta, Tando Mohammad Khan and Hyderabad -– that had produced bumper rice crop, had been overlooked by Pasco.

He said that there were about 200 rice mills in lower Sindh which had started purchasing paddy at the rate of Rs500 to Rs550 per 40kg which was about Rs2,00 below the minimum price fixed by the government.

It was incomprehensible that the Pasco authorities had failed to consider the plight of rice producers of lower Sindh, the SAB president said.

He appealed to the Pasco authorities to review their decision and immediately establish at least 25 procurement centres in the four rice producing districts of lower Sindh.