HYDERABAD: Discussing severe impacts of climate, growers have blamed heatwaves and rains for 50 per cent decrease in cotton production this year as compared to the last year’s produce.

They were speaking at a meeting of the Sindh Abadgar Board held here the other day, presided over by Syed Mahmood Nawaz Shah.

The meeting said the growers were not able to invest in the post-rain scenario to manage cotton crop due to shortage of funds.

It observed that a few growers could provide nutrition, bio-stimulants etc., to recover some of the produce after rains. Harvesting of paddy had also started, barring earlier sown crop which was negatively impacted due to heatwave, otherwise yields were robust, it said.

In addition to it, the growers already suffered due to widespread losses in Kharif vegetables such as chilies and onions, said the participants.

The meeting said the issue of declining prices in both commodities was critical. The price of cottonseed in 2023 was Rs8,500 per 40kg and paddy price around Rs3,500 per 40kg. Since then the prices of inputs had increased and the prices of both commodities should have proportionally increased, but they dropped.

The growers expressed deep concern over the prices of commodities which were going below the cost of the production. It was being reflected in fertilizer uptake which was reduced by 20pc from last year and that was not a healthy sign. Robust agricultural GDP growth, and record exports of agricultural commodities of the last year might not be seen this year, the meeting said.

It said climate change had affected production and empathy of the government towards agricultural production was choking agricultural economy. It seemed as if the government was implementing selective deregulation, encouraging hoarders and middlemen to take full advantage of the growers’ weakness, it said.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2024