Growers grouse about wheat procurement by Food Department

The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has complained that Sindh Food Department has failed to make the wheat procurement centres functional. A meeting of the SCA held at its office here on Sunday, chaired by the chamber's President Qabool Muhammad Khatian, also expressed deep concern over the shortage of water and sea intrusion in the coastal districts.
The farmers' representatives from several districts of Sindh who attended the meeting maintained that the wheat procurement centre also lacked staff. They said the gunny bags were not being distributed transparently among the small and medium farmers. They lamented that despite the Sindh Government's assurance that transparency would be ensured in the distribution of gunny bags had not materialized.
The farmers informed the meeting that the wheat harvest continued for the second month but the wheat growers were yet to receive the bags. The SCA warned the Sindh Government that if their complaints were not immediately redressed the farmers would file a petition in Sindh High Court. The meeting also requested Sindh Agriculture Department to help release over Rs.34 billion of sugarcane premium which were payable to the farmers by the sugar mills. Nabi Bux Sathio, Asghar Noonari, Muhammad Khan Sarejo and other officer bearers and members of the chamber attended.