NAROWAL: Rice worth more than Rs2 billion rotting in godowns of the district due to limited exports and bad policies of the government is giving sleepless nights to the farmers, mill owners and traders.
Rice mills owners and traders of Narowal had purchased greater stocks of rice last year. But the commodity couldn’t be exported reportedly partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic and partly due to the government policies that are pushing the country out of the competition in the world market.
The paddy crop is cultivated on 176,000 acres of land in Narowal district, out of which 5,709 acres are irrigated by canal water while 170,000 acres are watered by tubewells. The crop irrigated by canal water costs Rs100 per acre whereas it costs Rs30,000 per acre if irrigated by tubewells as the cost multiplies due to irrigation by engines and use of diesel. Per acre paddy produce during the current year in Narowal district has remained 35 to 71 maunds while the average produce is recorded as 40