Growers in Sindh have urged the provincial government to supply wheat seeds of earlier and late varieties in rain-ravaged districts at subsidised rate, and to take action against those engaged in manipulating fertiliser market.

They fear that wheat production may be reduced by 25-30 per cent this season as rainwater still remains accumulated on parts of agricultural land in lower Sindh districts mainly in Badin.

Zaffar Ali Shah, a wheat grower of Badin, said many farmers would not be able to sow wheat here in this season.

He said rainwater was standing in Pangrio, Malkani Sharif and Khosaki union councils in Tando Bago taluka, Nando, Haji Abdullah Shah and Mithi-3 union councils of taluka Badin. Around 1.0 -1.5 lakh acres of farm land still remained under rainwater in these areas and there was little possibility of its being drained out before December.

Another affected grower Rafique Ahmed Samo said farmers were sowing wheat in Deh Kak of union council Bhugra Memon and Deh Sengari of union council Kadhan after their land was cleared of rainwater by the irrigation department. Farmers were buying a 50kg bag of TD-1 and TJ-83 wheat seed for Rs2,500 in Badin and Matli towns while the official price was Rs950 per bag. The Sindh Seed Corporation had failed to provide them seeds.

Similarly a bag of DAP was available for Rs4,200 and urea for Rs2,200. The district administration and agriculture department officials had failed to check spiraling prices of farm inputs.

Sindh Abadgar Board General Secretary Mehmood Nawaz Shah estimated that wheat crop would be reduced by 25-30 per cent this season. Badin and Mirpurkhas districts of lower Sindh were the worst affected districts but in selected areas where water had receded growers were cultivating early and late varieties of seeds like TD-1, Marvi, TJ-83 and Bakhar from November 1.

Sindh Seed Corporation MD Shafique Ahmed Mahisar said the corporation was supplying TD-1, SKD-1, Kiran, Marvi and four other varieties of seed to rain-hit districts of Badin and Thatta from its head office in Hyderabad at subsidised rates. Centres were opened for marketing of varieties of good quality seeds at Sukkur, Larkana, Sakrand and Mirpurkhas towns. If water and fertilisers were applied properly to the field these seeds would give a yield of 40 to 60 maunds par acre, he said.

In districts of upper Sindh like Larkana, Sukkur, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Dadu, Jamshoro, Nawab Shah, Naushehroferoze etc., early varieties of wheat are being cultivated but non-availability and exorbitant prices of fertilisers were creating problems for growers.

Executive engineer of irrigation department Habibullah Kaboro said a total of 1,53,000 acres of agricultural land was inundated by rainwater in Dadu district out of which only 15,000 acres remained inundated. Growers could cultivate late varieties of wheat in these areas after draining out water by December. Provincial Agriculture Secretary Agha Jan Akhtar said agricultural department officials were directed to share their suggestions with growers for cultivation of wheat. He said it had been learnt that growers were sowing earlier and late varieties in lower and upper parts of Sindh.

Chief Engineer Small Dams Organization Babar Hussain Effendi said out of five million acre feet rainwater accumulated in nine districts of Sindh, about 20,000 acre feet of water was being drained out on daily basis since last two months.

He said two days before Eidul Azha, LBOD breaches closed in Mirpurkhas district and water level dropped to four feet, making it easier to drain out water from farms. The growers had started sowing earlier seed varieties. Rainwater was standing on agricultural land of only two union councils of Jhudo taluka which would be drained out in next 20 days.

Superintendent Engineer of Small Dams Organisation Jam Mitha Khan said rainwater was drained out completely in Nawab Shah, Tando Allahyar, Tando Mohammad Khan and Matyari and cultivation of wheat was going on in these districts.

Only 10 per cent rainwater was standing in Jhuddo Mari area of Tando Allahyar, Sanghar and Nau Kot area. He feared that growers would not be able to cultivate wheat on 10 per cent of their lands during this season.