Sindh will procure wheat-seed from Punjab to stabilise its price in Sindh and facilitate farmers, who have prepared their lands for sowing the late variety. The Sindh food and agriculture minister on Wednesday after taking notice of reports of black-marketing and the price increase in wheat seed have decided to procure it from Punjab. He also chaired a meeting of the crop management committee to evaluate the overall wheat seed stock position.
The minister has asked the representative of Foundation Seed Certification, Sindh, and the officials of the Sindh agriculture department to monitor timely availability of wheat seed to the growers.
He said for the current season, the target of 880,000 hectares has been set for the sowing of wheat as compared to last year's target of 851,000 hectares. Despite the water shortage, approximately 47 percent of target so far, wheat has been sown on 434,594 hectares which comes to the achievement of target to an extent of approximately 50 percent, while last year achievement of target for the corresponding period was only 36 percent, he added.
The minister said he was optimistic about the achievement in sowing target if the acute shortage of water did not affect sowing, adding Sindh would be able to achieve its sowing target to a great extent.
The minister has instructed the Agriculture Extension director general to collect statement of the prices of wheat seed from all the districts through executive district officers concerned.
He said he would like his staff to be vigilant, and keep an eye on the process of wheat seed and DAP fertiliser.