THE chilly weather has damaged vegetable crops in different parts of Sindh. After 1929, for the first time temperature dropped to minus one degree centigrade in Dadu district on February 6.

The frosty weather destroyed an estimated 85 per cent of vegetables like brinjal, tomatoes and green chilli.

According to Chief Meteorologist Mohammad Riaz, it was the coldest winter in Sindh since 1929. The cold wave persisted in parts of Sindh for a week. Dadu Mukhtiarkar Naeem Ahmed Vistro said the vegetable crops were affected on a large scale and growers were facing huge losses. The supply of vegetable to Sabzi Mandi had also decreased significantly.

Ali Nawaz Kalhoro of the Sindh Agriculture Department said growers in Dadu, Johi, Mehar and Khairpur Nathan Shah talukas had cultivated tomatoes, brinjal and green chilli on 4,000, 2,000 and 8,000 acres respectively following monsoon rains in August and September last year. The frosty weather this year destroyed 85 per cent of their vegetable crops.

Earlier, he said, growers had suffered enormous losses when 70 per cent nurseries of Kharif vegetables were damaged in heavy rains of 2011. Farmers, who had cultivated vegetables bearing huge cost of seed, fertiliser and pesticides, again suffered heavily when their vegetable crops were damaged in the chilly weather.

Kharif vegetables in parts of lower Sindh like Badin, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas, Tando Mohammad Khan and parts of upper Sindh in Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot were also damaged due to extreme weather conditions. The crops suffered the most in Tando Rahim Khan, Wahi Pandhi, Heero Khan and Haji Khan union councils of Johi taluka in Dadu district, he added.

A small grower of green chilli of village Ali Khan of taluka Dadu, said his three acres of green chilly were destroyed in the frost inflicting a loss of Rs0.3 million.

Another woman grower Maryam of Mithoo Khan village in Dadu taluka said she had purchased vegetable seeds and fertiliser by selling her gold ornaments and cultivated brinjal on one acre and tomatoes on three acres which were destroyed by frost.

Rafique Ahmed Jamali, ex-state minister for food and agriculture and, PPP MNA from Dadu-Johi, said that crops in Dadu and Jamshoro districts were damaged by heavy rains in 2011 which caused price spiral affecting common man and losses to growers. Now the chilly weather had damaged vegetables in Dadu district increasing financial problem for small growers.

He said he would raise the issue in the National Assembly and discuss the issue with the prime minister and demand special package for growers of the area.

Sabzi Mandi Agents Association President said that supply of vegetables to markets had reduced to a great extent after the recent chilly weather. Due to shortage of vegetables in market, rates of brinjal had increased from Rs600 per maund to Rs800 par maund, cost of a box of tomatoes has gone up from Rs250 to Rs350 and of green chilli from Rs1,500 per maund to Rs2,200 per maund, he added. He feared further price spiral in days to come.

The shortage of vegetable in the market, which has resulted in increase in its price, may necessitate its import from the neighbouring countries. During the 2011 flood in parts of lower Sindh, vegetable prices had spiraled and the government had to import the vegetables from India. This time India is also in grip of cold weather and may not be able to export the commodity to Pakistan.