Standing floodwater worries growers

Farmers complain of difficulty in obtaining loans from Sindh Bank.


Z Ali October 01, 2011

HYDERABAD:


Farmers in Sindh fear losing their winter crop because of standing flood water. As it is, the rains destroyed millions of acres of ready-to-harvest cotton, rice, sugarcane, chilli, vegetables and fruits.


The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture met on Friday to discuss the beginning of sowing for the Rabi crop. “A decrease in the production of sugarcane and wheat will adversely affect the economy,” said Dr Syed Nadeem Qamar, who was presiding over the meeting.

Farmers who attended the meeting complained of problems in obtaining loans from the Sindh Bank. “The Sindh Bank is offering loans to only a few thousand people while there are hundreds of thousands of affected farmers,” Nabi Bux Sathio, a farmer, told the meeting.

The bank announced to provide loans with an interest rate of 13% and one year relaxation period to only 5,000 farmers cultivating 25 or less acres of land. The amount was also limited to Rs100,000 of which Rs20,000 will be paid in cash while the remaining will be in the form of agricultural inputs. Farmers also expressed grave concern over the import of onion, tomato and chilies, and asked the government to stop.

The growers demanded that crushing of sugarcane be started from November 1, at the rate of Rs250 per 40 kilogrammes and the price of cotton be set at Rs3,600 per 40 kilogrammes so that they salvage a little profit from the remaining crop.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2011.

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