Prices of fertilizers, pesticides: Farmers block Multan road against increase

Farmers hailing from different areas of Punjab including Multan, Vehari, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajan Pur and other districts staged a protest demonstration at Multan Road in Lahore on Wednesday against unaffordable increase in prices of fertilizers, pesticides and refusal of sugar mills to start cane crushing season.
They said that price of urea has been increased from Rs. 1200 per 50 KG bag to Rs. 1800 per bag and price of DAP has shot up from Rs. 2300 to Rs. 3800 per bag while prices of pesticides have doubled during past few months skyrocketing cost of crops production.
Due to the protest of the farming community, the police closed the route to Thokar Niaz Bag on Multan road for general traffic by erecting containers. Heavy contingents of police also reached the protest scene to counter an unwanted situation. Due to the protest, long lines of cars, vehicles, trucks, were held up on this very busy Multan Road. The Kissan Ittehad rally demanded that previous prices of urea and fertilizer should be restored and Sugar Mills should start sugarcane crushing season forthwith.