LARKANA: Negotiations held between the representatives of the Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) and Sindh Balochistan Rice Millers and Traders Association (SBRMTA) successfully broke the ice on Wednesday, leading to reopening of Anaj Mandi in Shahdadkot after one week’s closure.
It was decided that Anaj Mandi would reopen from Thursday (today) with full operation while the irritants would be sorted out through talks on Friday.
Due to a standoff between the millers and paddy growers over certain petty issues, the paddy procurement came to a grinding halt in Shahdadkot where around 150 rice mills operate during the paddy crop season.
Talking to Dawn, Ishaque Mughiri, former president of SAB Qambar-Shahdadkot who led the growers’ side in the talks, said more than 100 leading growers and land lords gathered at a central place in the city and discussed pros and cons of the issues and obstacles which led to the closure of the Anaj Mandi in the prime time. Asif Leghari led the millers’ side in talks.
The key issue as per the growers was ‘illegal cut’ in weight during the procurement being made by the millers. The millers were quite uncomfortable with the way the representatives of Hari Abadgar Ittehad, a nascent group, was handling the situation, Mr Mughiri said.
As the millers and growers locked horns, the situation inflicted colossal financial losses on the paddy growers who were compelled to sell the crop at the lowest rate in open market.
The growers rejecting the cut held protests on Oct 22 in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office of Qambar-Shahdadkot district on the call of Sindh Hari Abadgar Ittehad. The farmers’ leaders Mohsin Qazi, Muhammad Ali Hakro, Ali Raza Cholyani, Habib Jarwar, Bahram Chandio, Ali Muhammad Khoso led the sit-in. They said with the nexus between the local mill owners and traders had monopolised the process and drastically reduced paddy prices, purchasing it for Rs1,700 to Rs2,000 per 40 kg, which did not even cover the expenses. After an eight-and-a-half-hour protest, talks between Qambar-Shahdadkot Deputy Commissioner Imdad Abro and farmers’ leaders, the sin-in was called off.
When Anaj Mandi in Shahdadkot was closed, the prices of paddy were as under: Basmati Rs3,700 to Rs3,800 per 40kg, hybrid paddy Rs2,700 to Rs2,800 perkg, Kissan (a new variety) Rs4,500 per 40kg, Super Basmati Rs4,900 per 40kg. However, according to the abadgars the procurement rate continued to fluctuate due to unstable market.
Shahdadkot is the hub of paddy activities as it has around 150 rice mills to do business in paddy crop season. Paddy crop arrives in the season here from the adjoining areas of Balochistan, but unfortunately it was stopped due to the closure of Anaj Mandi, local abadgars said.
Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2025