The Sindh food department has so far failed to establish wheat procurement centres in any taluka of Larkana district due to which poor growers have expressed their resentment and anger.
The crop is ready for harvesting. District Food Controller, Larkana, Sagar Abro, confirmed the news and further disclosed that Larkana district target had been reduced 30% from 350,000 bags to 250,000 bags during the current year.
Abro said procurement centres would soon be opened in the district on receipt of bags as so far these had not been supplied from the higher authorities which were expected in April. He said as soon as gunny bags were received, all 12 centres would be established in the district for the benefit of poor peasants. The DFC said that these bags would then be distributed among farmers as per government policy.
Wheat crop in the district is ready for harvesting which has already started in some areas here but delay in establishing centres will force the landlords to sell their produce to private traders who will pay much less amount than fixed by the government.
In many areas, tillers are forced to sell wheat at the rate of Rs 1100 per 40 kg due to non-availability of government procurement centres by which they are undergoing huge losses. Siraj Rashidi, Chairman Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, told PPI on Sunday that they had already gone massive losses during the previous paddy crop season and if government delayed the opening to its centres, they would be forced to undergo more losses due to low rate by the private grain merchants.
He said the food department was wilfully delaying the supply of bags in Sindh so that growers and tillers suffer losses which must be condemned. He said they were worried over the prevailing situation which was fast going from bad to worse because when the full crop would arrive in the market within next three/four days the rates would further be reduced by these local businessmen which would deprive the poor agriculture sector of their actual prices. He demanded of the Sindh government to supply the bags and establish centre on emergency basis to save agriculturists.