HYDERABAD: The Sindh Abadgar Ittehad, an association of farmers lobbying for their rights, has requested the provincial government to ensure that they are paid the government-fixed rates of cotton, rice and sugarcane.
At a press conference at Hyderabad Press Club here on Sunday Ittehad’s President Nawab Zubair Talpur also demanded cancellation of the FIR lodged against the growers and journalists protesting in Khairpur district.
He said the FIR was registered against the persons staging a protest outside a cotton factory because of the alleged unfair rates at which they were buying cotton.
He said on the one hand the government expressed the desire to promote advanced agriculture techniques but on the other hand the measures necessary for the economic viability of the sector appear missing.
Talpur added that the provincial government had fixed the rates of Rs 8,500 per 40 kilograms for cotton, Rs 4,500 per 40 kg for rice and Rs 600 per 40 kg for sugarcane.
He maintained that the farmers were not being paid the government fixed rates which amounted to violation of the country’s law by the purchasers.
He called for immediate steps to stop the exploitation of the farmers.
Abdul Raheem Dars, Muhammad Javed, Abdul Razzaq and other office bearers of Ittehad were also present on the occasion.