Prospect of Corn as the grain in Sindh

By Hadi Lagari

Newly established Rafhan Food manufacturing factory @ Kotri requires more than 1,50,000 tons of corn ( on 50,000 acres "one crop cycle"). They assure guarantee to buy back. The price / 40 kg they of

fer is 1100 PKR @ 10-11% moisture content, for every one percent decrease in moisture content they add 11 PKR/40 kg. With Pioneer seed company they are doing this venture. They promote two season crop spring & autumn. Spring crop yield more upto plus 4 tons/acre & Autumn crops yield less roughly under 3 tons/acre. Per acre seed cost is 6100 PKR & roughly total cost of production/crop is 30,000 to 40,000 PKR/acre. I think what they offer is not that bad.

For long term I don't think that'll be sustainable.............due to monoculturing & continuous mining of minerals from soil.