Flood-hit farmers demand cash this time

‘Substandard seeds distributed after last year floods’. Hence farmers this year have asked for cash.

HYDERABAD:

Farmers have requested the government to provide financial assistance in the form of cash to flood-hit growers and not agricultural inputs to ensure proper help to growers.

In the aftermath of previous year floods, substandard inputs were distributed and farmers were omitted from the compensation process, according to Sindh Chamber of Agriculture.

The Sindh government earmarked Rs4 billion to provide free seeds and fertiliser to growers who lost their crops during the recent floods. Farmers who own up to 25 acres of agricultural land will get the inputs.

At a meeting of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture on Friday member Muhammad Khan Sarejo complained that the quality of inputs provided to farmers in the previous Rabi (winter) sowing affected production of their crops.

“Although the government purchased seeds and fertiliser from leading companies, most of the growers were given adulterated inputs,” he claimed. Complaints of delayed distribution, quality and omission of affected growers were reported frequently following in 2010. In this regard, Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad bench heard similar petitions filed by a number of affected growers in May 2011 and sought details of distribution from the concerned districts.

One of the affected petitioners Karamullah Solangi from Dadu district who was also a member of district committee for Rabi Assistance Plan 2010, had cited 24 flood victims whose areas were declared calamity hit but were not helped.

“Billions are spent from taxpayer money to help farmers revive cropping but these efforts are overshadowed by an ill-planned approach,” Sarejo lamented.

Meanwhile, growers at the meeting expressed concern over delay in drainage of floodwater from farmlands. They contended that wheat can only be sown on about 40 per cent of the total land brought under cultivation for the crop in Sindh.

“This suggests a consequent decrease in the production of wheat,” said Sindh Chamber of Agriculture president Dr Nadeem Qamar. Sindh produced over 4 million tons wheat in 2011.

Growers are also demanded increasing in purchasing price of sugarcane crop to Rs250 from Rs154 per 40 kilogramme.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2011.