Pakistan News And Discussion-14

[Naresh]

<b>Concern over short supply of rice paddy</b>

KARACHI - The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has invited the attention of the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) to the adverse situation faced by the parboiling units of rice due to the paddy being purchased by the rice sellers cartel who have out smarted the parboilers of rice.

<b>The union has regretted that due to increasing demand of Arabian and African countries, the SMEs invested in parboiling plants that they imported from India at high cost</b> and now the industry is suffering due to short supply of paddy, which goes to the shellers for the preparation of white rice.

UNISAME President Zulfikar Thaver said the SME rice parboiling units are facing a very tough situation due to the higher prices for paddy of different varieties being paid to the growers by the shellers who lift the paddy by paying better prices to the growers leaving the parboiling units deprived of regular supplies at reasonable prices.

<b>He said that if the supplies to the parboiling units are not ensured the units will have to close down and the parboiled rice market developed by exporters after many efforts will be lost to India again.</b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->

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