MULTAN: Former National Assembly speaker Syed Fakhar Imam warns that wheat production for 2014-15 will not meet the target set by the government if the paddy growers do not receive government assistance.

In a press release here on Saturday, he said the prices of rice paddy had declined by 50pc as compared to the last year.

“Prices have declined considerably this year from Rs1,200-1,300 per 40kg compared to Rs2,200-2,600 last year,” he said.

Mr Imam said the paddy growers were facing a difficult situation as there was a powerful lobby that that was not buying the paddy crop at this time of the harvest.

“Paddy growers lack storage facilities and therefore have no other option but to sell it at low prices. The lobby of mill owners and middlemen are deliberately delaying the buying to pressurise the paddy growers to sell their crop at throwaway prices,” he said.

Mr Imam said the government should assist the paddy growers through making cash payments to them directly on an emergent basis. He said that if the rice growers were not assisted by the government, the wheat crop that is being sown after rice would be badly affected as the growers would not have the required money to invest in the wheat crop.

DEMAND: The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has called for establishment of an autonomous and accountable election commission and amendments in electoral laws for the holding of transparent polls.

The demands were raised unanimously in terms of recommendations besides many others during a consultative meeting with the political leaders and candidates on FAFEN’s electoral reforms agenda jointly organized by FAFEN and PATTAN Development Organization. The session was moderated by Shayan Mohsin from FAFEN and Rabia Ghani PATTAN Development Organization.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2014