“The value of our currency is Rs 85.50 per US dollar and that of Pakistani rupee is Rs 280 per US Dollar. As the Pakistani currency is already devalued against the US dollar, the exporters of the neighboring country will directly benefit,” he added.”Also, Pakistani farmers have small land holdings and hence do not use pesticides. Their crop is pesticide free, which is not the case with us. The importers from the US might shift to Pakistan as it is an cheaper alternative,’’ he said.The issue of ‘pesticide residue’ has also been haunting the basmati exporters with several countries, including the EU, USA and others who had lowered MRL’s (Minimum Residue Level), curtailing exports from Punjab.”Out of the total Basmati rice export, over 50 per cent share belongs to business houses of the country, and they are related to Punjab. They procure the crop from the farmers of the state, and thus directly hit farmers, besides exports,” he said.
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