Experts have expressed scepticism over the viability of Sindh government's Rabi crops plan to deal with the impending 60 percent water shortage during the Rabi cropping season by delaying the sowing process, and termed it as an exercise in futility. They argued that water is the basic input in the agriculture and the failure of provincial agriculture and irrigation ministries to resolve the water quantity and quality related problems would impair the productivity of the crop in the province.
They said it is only the beginning and in future water might become a more limiting factor with increasing demand due to growing human population, increase in land under crop and climatic changes and its use for non-agricultural purposes.
They were unanimous that the depleted water situation had adversely affected the growth rate of agriculture sector which had enormous adverse impact on socio-economic fabric of rural areas of the province. They said that water losses from canals to farm gate have mounted to 34 to 40 MAF. This is yet another problem further aggravating the situation.
They admitted that the present government is fully alive to the situation and has launched two gigantic projects worth Rs 27.50 billion.
The projects are designed to restructure the age-old provincial irrigation network to save 20 to 25 MAF water in next four years. But, they said, the provincial government has miserably failed to substantiate the central government efforts by not introducing some of the modern technology such as zero tillage, sprinkling and drip irrigation for judicious use of available water resources, nor it has introduced schemes for water conservation and to harness rain water.
Referring to change in cropping pattern they said that to introduce high-value low delta crops to replace high delta crop is also moving at a snail's pace as very little progress has been made in introducing cotton cultivation in the rice growing areas of upper Sindh while in sugarcane producing districts of lowers Sindh sunflower is progressing, but more often than not it, too, suffered due to lack of good quality hybrid seeds and poor marketing structure.
They said that Sindh Agriculture Extension, which has been cut in size under devolution plan, has failed to fulfil its obligations towards the development of agriculture sector due to growing mismanagement, political and administrative interference.
There are many examples where senior officers have been sidelined and junior inexperienced officers have been posted on key posts as such the desired objective of sustainable development of agriculture sector remains a distant cry.
These experts are of considered opinion that a major shortfall in Rabi crops is inevitable, particularly the wheat production, which might create a wide gap between availability and demand of wheat in the province.
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