LARKANA, Nov 3: The Qambar-Shahdadkot chapter of the Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) on Monday warned that the growers would stop rice trade in the grain market, force closure of 75 rice mills and call for indefinite shutterdown strike in the district, if the government does not raise official rate of different varieties of paddy within three days.

Ishaque Mugheri, president of the district’s SAB chapter, urged at a meeting raise in rates and establishment of procurement centres by the Trade Corporation of Pakistan.

He said that procurement price of Irri-6 and Irri-9 had dropped from Rs700 per 40 kilogram to Rs450 to 500 per 40 kg and the rate of Russian Basmati had decreased from Rs900 to Rs600 per 40 kg.

He said that the drop in prices had inflicted huge losses on the growers and urged the government to come to their rescue by fixing rate of Irri-6 and Irri-9 at Rs1,000 per 40 kg and Rs1,200 per 40 kg to save them from losses.

He said that it would be an exercise in futility to set up Passco’s procurement centres because its procurement target was quite small.

Acting district nazim of Qambar-Shahdadkot, Atta Hussain Junejo, who also attended the meeting fully endorsed the growers’ demands and called upon the government to ask the TCP to take urgent steps to solve their problem.