As a strange and mysterious insect attacks the crop
ISLAMABAD: Rice crop harvest season has started in some areas of upper Sindh, but this time a strange and mysterious insect has attacked the crop which is vitiating the rice grain. This is particularly harmful as it is the most useful part of the plant. As a result, uncertainty is increasing among the farmers of Dadu and Larkana districts.
The majority of rice crop farmers are blaming hybrid seed companies saying that the companies had provided us expired and mixtured seeds which were unable to grow. Meanwhile, seed companies, dealers and agriculture experts are linking this alarming situation to climate change. The common farmer is totally unaware of climate change and its impacts on his crop. That is why he is not ready to accept any argument related to climate change or global warming. Although global warming has become a challenge for the world, in our country, particularly in the province of Sindh, small growers do not understand the dynamics of climate change let alone the whole concept itself. Thus they are unable to draw a connection between how that affects the crops. In both Larkana and Dadu districts, farmers hold rice plants in their hands as a protest against seed companies and retailers for giving them inappropriate seeds which caused them heavy losses. Neither the Sindh agriculture department officials nor experts of the hybrid seed companies have visited the affected areas to guide the farmers so that their frustration could decrease. The Sindh government should take measures to spread awareness about climate change. The provincial government should also declare the two districts calamity-hit areas. Subsidising farmer loans is also important so that farmers can save themselves from more losses.
Gulzar Ali Panhwar
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2019.
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