KARACHI: Cultivators in the Sindh province are facing a severe shortage of DAP fertiliser in almost all districts. Moreover, the price of fertiliser, if available, is heavily inflated, causing further distress to local growers, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The Agriculture Department of the Sindh government has received hundreds of complaints pertaining to the acute shortage and elevated prices of DAP fertiliser in regional markets, according to well placed sources. Every year, influential fertiliser dealers arbitrarily raise the price of their product, depriving growers of an essential tool in the growth of the Rabi crop, they alleged.
Currently, wheat crop is being sown in all the districts of the province and the artificial shortage of DAP fertilizers will adversely affect the production of major crops. They lamented that growers are being victimised by state apathy, profiteers and hoarders.
However, influential landlords and those backed by the ruling political party can avail themselves of huge stocks of the fertiliser at government-fixed rates made available by district officials and corporations, the sources added.
They indicated that half of local growers have switched to the use of urea fertilisers as opposed to DAP given the difference in price and easy availability of the latter.
Currently, urea fertiliser sale is also limited, often available only through the black market, and is consequentially less beneficial to growers.
Dealers have been able to squirrel away large quantities. There are no adequate countermeasures to hoarding, they opined and alleged that district officers were themselves directly involved in the black market.
They pointed a finger at District Coordination Officers (DCOs) who are apparently distributing fertiliser to influential landlords and members of the ruling party, depriving small growers of their due share.
The agriculture department of the Sindh government has on several occasions, directed DCOs to take disciplinary action against the hoarders and profiteers.
Such actions are in vain as the local administration is working hand in glove with the dealers, the sources stated.
