Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah chaired the meeting.

The chief minister said that it was the government’s responsibility to get farmers the rightful price of their crops.

He said farmers were not satisfied with government measures as regards the price of rice, its procurement, and other related problems and needed to be provided maximum facilities at their doorstep.

The meeting decided that taluka-level committees, headed by respective DCOs, would be formed in rice-producing areas with EDOs of revenue, agriculture, food, and DOs of revenue and finance, and a representative of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Pasco) and Taluka DSP and SHO concerned as its members.

It was also stressed that the federal government should raise the rice procurement target from 0.5 million to one million tons for the benefit of farmers. It was also stressed that the number procurement centres in Sindh should be increased from 71 to 150 for which necessary staff and other facilities should be provided by the government.

It was emphasised that Pasco should buy rice directly from farmers instead of rice mills and supply it to mills itself.

The meeting was told that rice mills were not paying the fixed price of rice nor were they cooperating in its purchase and, therefore, farmers should not be left at their mercy.

The federal government was also urged to make an early supply of one million tons of wheat to Sindh.

The meeting was informed that two ships carrying 20,000 and 30,000 tons of imported wheat were arriving and the entire cargo would be supplied to Sindh.

The meeting decided that all DCOs would hold meetings with retailers to keep prices of essential commodities stable.

According to another decision, the demand of fertilisers for Ghotki will be met.

The managing director of Pasco, Maj-Gen Anwar Saeed, informed the meeting that on the directive of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal), Pasco would procure one million tons of rice — 0.5 million tons of Basmati and 0.5 million tons of Irri-6.

He said that Pasco had been directed to set up 35 rice procurement centres out of which 24 were set up in Punjab, eight in Sindh and three in Balochistan. Later, their number was ordered to be increased to 262 on Nov 1, 2008 with 176 in Punjab, 71 in Sindh and 15 in Balochistan.

He said rice procurement was started in Sindh and Balochistan from November 17 for which every selected rice mill was paid Rs5 million in advance.

He said that since Nov 20, the advance money was increased to Rs10 million and farmers were paid their money through crossed cheques from mills concerned.The managing director of Pasco said that rice cleaning work would be completed by April 30, 2009.

He informed the meeting that procurement price for Super Basmati Peddy had been fixed at Rs1,500 per 40 kilogramme, Rs1,250 per 40kg for 2000/385-Peddy and Rs700 per 40kg for Irri-6 while for Super Basmati Rice it was fixed at Rs3,000 per 40kg and Rs2,500 per 40kg for Basmati 2000/385, Rs1,400 per 40kg for Irri-6 special quality rice and Rs1,200 per 40kg for Irri normal.

He said that so far 30,071 tons of Irri-6 had been procured from 71 mills in Sindh.

The meeting was attended by Agriculture Minister Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Food Minister Mir Nadir Magsi, Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, ACS Development Nazar Hussain Mahar and other senior officials.—APP