Urea paucity brings growers to the street

SIALKOT - Hundreds of paddy growers and farmers on Wednesday took out a rally to protest against shortage of fertilisers particularly urea. The rally started from congested Allama Iqbal Chowk and culminated at the same point after passing through all the main city roads. Carrying placards and chanting slogans, the protesters bemoaned the shortage of fertilisers as well as inaction of the government to clamp down on profiteers and hoarders. The unavailability of urea was badly affecting paddy crops sowing in the district, a hub of producing the best quality bumper paddy yield. District administration of Sialkot still remains unable to check this awful situation, leaving the growers at the mercy of fertiliser dealers. He said that the situation was causing inordinate delay in the sowing of the paddy crops. Talking to the newsmen separately, Kissan Board Pakistan Central Chairman Amanullah Chatta expressed grave concern over the situation. He said that because of urea shortage, the paddy growers were facing severe difficulties. He said that the shortage was causing inordinate delay in paddy sowing. He said that the dealers were selling the DAP fertilizers at Rs1,600 to Rs1,700 per bag in black market against the fixed official rate of Rs1245 per bag in Sialkot, Daska, Bhopalwala, Sambrial, Uggoki-Bajwat, Pasrur, Chawinda, Satrah, Badiana, Mianwali Bangla and surrounding areas. He said that that the district governments still remain unable to check this nasty practice. He said that despite the dealers were selling these fertilizers in black at a rate of Rs. 1600 to 1700 per bag, besides, creating artificial shortage of the urea fertilizers in this region. He feared that the sowing of the seasonal paddy crops was badly hampering due to the shortage of fertilizers in Sialkot region and he said that this sowing would be much delayed in this persisting situation. He urged the government to look into the matter in the larger interest of the wheat growers and farmers.