CHAKWAL: The wheat sowing season is just 15 days away but the recommended seed varieties have vanished from the market and the farmers are forced to buy substandard seeds.

The agriculture experts had recommended Chakwal 50 and Dharabi 2011 seed varieties which was introduced by the Barani Agriculture and Research Institute, Chakwal for being the best ones for the pluvial region of Rawalpindi division.

But the Punjab Seed Corporation could not provide these varieties in sufficient quantity to meet the needs of the farmers. Consequently the farmers are forced to buy substandard seed.

Chakwal 50 is the most sought after variety but this seed is not available even in Chakwal district.

“We do not have Chakwal 50 as it has run short,” Iftikhar Ahmed, a seed dealer told Dawn.

“Chakwal 50 is the best one but it is not available in the market,” says Ghulam Asghar Jafari, a progressive farmer from Pindi Gujran village.

Recommended varieties disappear from the market

“The government should ensure the availability of Chakwal 50 as this variety suits the arid region of Rawalpindi,” he adds.

On the other hand many dealers are selling fake seed varieties in the name of Chakwal 50.

“According to the rules the name of the seed variety must be printed on the bag,” says an official. But in Chakwal district piles of seed bags could be seen at various shops of seed dealers on which “Chakwal 50” has been written by hand.

“I came to the city to get two bags of Chakwal 50 and I bought these bags because Chakwal 50 is written on them through a red ink marker,” says Khalil Ahmed a farmer from Khai village. “God knows better whether it is genuine Chakwal 50 or a fake one,” he adds.

The substandard and fake seed dealers on Railway Road were of the view that private seed corporations which prepare seed are responsible for the authenticity of the seed.  

Only in Chakwal district thousands of bags of seed are needed but the Punjab Seed Corporation has only provided 6,000 bags of Chakwal 50.

“We have given 6,000 bags of Chakwal 50 in Chakwal district and 50,000 bags for the whole Rawalpindi division,” says Shamshad Waraich, Assistant Director, Marketing of Punjab Seed Corporation.

He said the problem of seed shortage could be resolved by establishing agriculture farms in Rawalpindi division where the wheat could be grown for preparing seed.

On the other hand the Agriculture Department has set the period of wheat sowing from October 15 to November 5 but the district administration of Chakwal is yet to notify the prices of fertiliser and seed, giving a free hand to dealers who are selling fertilisers and seed at whim.

The DAP fertiliser is being sold from Rs3,850 to Rs4,000 per maund.

When contacted, district officer, Agricul-ture, Mohammad Yasin came up with strange reply.

He said: “We did not convene the meeting of the Task Force deliberately. If we notify the prices of fertiliser and seed, the dealers may have shut their shops in protest and farmers would have to face many problems.”

Published in Dawn, October 29th , 2014