Pakistan: Government To Procure 1 Mil MT

Pakistan's federal government has directed Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Supplies Corp (PASSCO) to procure 1 million MT rice paddy from the farmers to stabilise the price of the product in the market for the farmers and to save them from possible exploitation by exporters and middlemen.

According to Nazar Mohammad Gondal, Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, currently the government has decided to procure 1 million tons of rice paddies and that limit could also further be enhanced depending on the market conditions.

The prices of agricultural inputs had increased many times and as such a price less than Rs 700 per 40 kg for the Irri rice paddy could go against the interests of the farmers.