HYDERABAD: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) on Sunday decried over the failure of the irrigation authorities to supply water to the farmers in the tail end area of the canals despite abundant water in the Indus river.
The protest was registered at SCA meeting at its where it was demanded from the government to control the inflating price of diesel and fertilizer, fix Rs1500 per maund price of the rice crop and to ask the sugar mills to pay dues to the farmers.
The meeting was chaired by SCA President Qabool Muhammad while the farmers’ representatives from Karachi, Sanghar, Sukkur and Ghotki attended through the video link.
The farmers complained that all the canals springing from Sukkur and Kotri barrages are full of water but there still prevails shortage of water for irrigation.
They held the irrigation officials responsible for the water scarcity accusing them of supplying water to the rich farmers in excess against alleged bribes.
The meeting highlighted the financial straits of the farmers, whose dues had not been paid by the sugar mills, forcing them to buy inputs for growing new crops through borrowing against huge interest rates.
The agriculturist asked the Sindh Government to fix the support price of rice crop at Rs1,500 per maund. Among others, Zahid Hussain Bhurgari, Aijaz Nabi, Nabi Bux Sathio, Mir Abdul Kareem Talpur, Asghar Noonari, Muhammad Khan Sarejo, Mir Sikandar Talpur, Ghulam Mujtaba Umar and Rasool Bux Malano attended the meeting.
