LAYYAH, Dec 1: Paddy growers of this district, bit novice in farming, are at the mercy of officials of Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) and owners of three rice mills who deduct around five to six kilogrammes per every 40kg of produce at their purchasing centres.

Nascent in paddy growing, the traditionally sugarcane growing district took decades to switch over to this crop on a commercial basis this year. Passco has set up its purchasing centers at Al-Faiz Rice Mills, Haider Rice Mills and Maqbool Rice Mills, where it buys Super Basmati paddy at the rate of Rs1,500 per 40kg and Super Basmati rice at Rs3,000 per 40kg.

Beside serving as Passco points, these rice mills are, however, purchasing paddy for their own consumption as well, which is the main source of growers’ exploitation. Chaudhry Rice Mills is the fourth enterprise in this district which is purchasing paddy produce, however, purely on private basis.

During a survey, Dawn learnt that Passco is following the specifications prescribed by the Pakistan Standards Institute, contemplating not to purchase produce having more than 12 per cent moisture level.

When Passco selectors reject any grower’s produce having more than the prescribed moisture level, the management of that particular rice mills hastily buys that harvest after deducting two to seven kg per 40kgs of produce, depending upon the moisture levels.

Dawn witnessed that moisture level reading in a majority of farmers’ produce was being noted at 14 to 18 per cent and thus, millers were purchasing the each lot after deducting around seven kg per 40kgs on an average.

The farmer whose crop’s moisture level reading is more than 18 per cent becomes the major victim of this exploitation, as he is compelled to dispose his produce at negligible prices, ranging between Rs1,000 to 1,100 per 40kg.

However, some experienced farmers who are aware of the “selection” process and who bring their produce after getting it dried sufficiently, face no hardship. Normally, their produce is being purchased on the prescribed rates without any deductions.

This district has been a prominent sugarcane growing area since the establishment of a sugar mills in 1952. Initially, the Thal Industries Corporation owned this sugar mills but miseries of growers started soon after its privatisation.

Year 2007 was the worst for the peasants as the management of the sugar mills refused to buy some varieties of the sugarcane allegedly for containing low sugar content, compelling the growers to dispose them of at meagre prices. Also, peasants had to run from pillar to the post to get the adequate yet due returns of their produce and, ironically, many of them are still waiting for their payments despite the lapse of over a year.

Consequently, a majority of cultivators of riverine area of the Indus decided to cultivate paddy instead of cane. This year, paddy was cultivated on around 200,000 acres in Layyah district an expected produce of 3 million tonnes.

Passco accordingly put Layyah on the list of paddy growing areas as it expected a brisk business to the tune of Rs1.2 billion from this district alone.

But peasants’ dreams of getting lucrative returns against their produce have been shattered by the forced deduction of around six kg per every 40kg, leaving a vast majority of them to repent their decision of sowing paddy.

FAP president Chaudhry Samiullah condemned the ‘exploitation’ of paddy growers by the owners of rice mills in collaboration with Passco officials.

Passco zonal manager Sayed Asif Ail said that they had displayed the rate lists along with phone numbers of officials with whom complaints can be filed, at every purchasing centre and disgruntled farmers could approach these officials to get their grievances redressed.—Fareedullah Chaudhry