KARACHI: The increase in acreage under paddy has brightened prospects of a boost in rice production by 15 to 20 per cent this year.

The data released by the Crop Monitoring Department indicates that the sowing area exceeded by 87,000 hectares in the last week of August. It is likely to reach 800,000 hectares by the close of the season against the target of 700,000 hectares. Sindh produced 2,570,025 tonnes of paddy last year and the cultivated area was 745,500 hectares.

The director of crops said that excess rice sowing was the result of drastic cut in cotton sowing acreage this year due to non-availability of water at the start of the season. The water shortage forced growers to abandon cotton and switch over to rice crop.

The majority rice sowing districts include Shikarpur 109,200 hectares, Larkana 102,000 hectares, Badin 115,400 hectares, Jacobabad 75,750 hectares, Kashmore 75,100 hectares, Qambar Shahdadkot 83,322 hectrares, Thatta 70,500 hectares and Ghotki 50,000 hectares.

The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture confirmed that the rice production is likely to increase this year by 15 to 20pc due to massive sowing.

The chamber urged the chief minister to approve the minimum purchase prices of rice and cotton which were recommended by the minister of agriculture in a meeting with stakeholders at the start of Ramazan. The prices fixed at the meeting were Rs1,020 for 40kgs of rice and Rs3,200 per 40kgs of cotton. Growers are still waiting for an official notification.

Published in Dawn, August 31th, 2014