The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has demanded of the Sindh Government to announce an interest-free loan package for the farmers of Sindh similar to the one being offered in Punjab.
A meeting of the SCA at its secretariat here on Sunday chaired by its President Dr Syed Nadeem Qamar urged the government to set aside Rs50 billion for three years for the interest-free loan scheme.
The meeting also asked the government to increase the amount of subsidy given to the growers for purchase of the tractors to Rs800,000.
The participants expressed dismay over what they described as the exploitation of the rice farmers.
"The price of Belarus Tractors has risen considerably. Without adequate government subsidy the farmers will not be able to afford the purchase," said Shah.
According to him, the Sindh government used to subsidised Rs600,000 tractor by contributing Rs300,000 in the buying.
But, presently the price had soared to Rs1.6 million for which at least Rs800,000 which was half the original price should be contributed by the provincial government, he added.
The meeting called upon the government to take action under the law against the rice mills involved in the exploitation and to seal those mills for violating the law.
The participants said that during their meeting with Sindh Agriculture Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal on October 17 the rice mill owners had been agreed to pay the support price for the rice crop which had been fixed by the government.
However, the farmers lamented that the millers reneged their assurance by continuing to pay a lower rate.
The meeting expressed condolence on the demise of the SCA's founding member Syed Qamar Zaman Shah.
The SCA's General Secretary Nabi Bux Sathio, members Mir Imdad Talpur, Mohammad Khan Sarejo, Mir Abdul Karim Talpur, Haji Nisar Memon, Agha Syed Khadim Hussain Shah and Ghulam Mujtaba Unar and others were present. The farmers' representatives from Karachi, Sanghar, Sukkur and Ghotki districts attended the meeting through the video link.
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