MULTAN, Sept 13: The southern Punjab growers have welcomed the government’s decision to procure rice through Passco (Pakistan Agriculture Supplies and Storage Corporation) and said it would protect rice growers from manipulative tactics of the middlemen and private traders.

President Kissan Board, Tehsil Rajanpur, Rasheed Langah said that after releasing their stocks of rice the stockists depressed the prices of rice just before harvesting of the new crop.

Contesting the exporters’ claims about fall in the prices of Pakistani rice in the international market after the arrival of fresh crops from Vietnam and Thailand, he said that only India and Pakistan were producing fine verity of rice, namely basmati, and as India had already imposed a ban on its export, Pakistani rice will fetch good price.

He said that the FoB price of super basmati in international market was $1,250 and its C & F price is $1,200 per ton. Their equivalent price in rupee is Rs97,500 and Rs93,600 per ton, respectively. After releasing of stocks by the hoarders the commodity was available at Rs65,000 per ton in the local market.

Khawaja Muhammad Shoaib of Farmers Vision Forum said that because of the low yield in cotton and sugarcane crops this year, the farmers have cultivated rice over large areas in various districts of the south Punjab, including Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.

He said that shortage of urea, less rains and prolonged load-shedding had affected the productivity of the crop and increased the cost of production.

He said that the people were forced to buy basmati at Rs120 to Rs130 against its official price was Rs113 per kg while exporters remained busy to export it.

He said this year rice had been cultivated in large areas in both Punjab and Sindh provinces and a bumper crop of seven million tons was expected as compared to last year’s 5.5 million tons.