Kissan Board Pakistan has castigated Punjab government for its failure to supply seed and fertiliser, free of cost, to the flood-hit people on time, as the winter crops sowing has started from October 15 in the province.
President of KBP, Zafar Hussain and General Secretary Mohammad Ramzan, while talking to newsmen in Vehari, said that though the Punjab government had been making promises that it would supply seed and fertiliser free of cost to the farmers in the flood affected areas, yet so far not a single bag of seed or fertiliser has been given to a farmer.
They claimed that Watan Cards are also being distributed among the favoured flood-hit people, on political basis, while the genuine affected persons are being ignored.
They alleged that the sugar mills, owned by the rulers, have not paid their dues to the farmers for the sugarcane purchsed during the past crushing season. "If the wheat crop is not sown on time in the devastated districts of southern Punjab due to failure of the government, the country will suffer irrepairable economic losses," they said.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has directed the Provincial Secretary, Finance, to immediately release Rs 1.5 billion for provision of fertiliser and seed to the farmers. He said that the process of issuing vouchers would be started from October 28 for distribution of seed and fertiliser, free of cost, among the cultivators. Punjab Information Technology Board has also prepared vouchers in this regard. The provincial government plans to spend about Rs 3 billion on the provision of free of cost issue of seed and fertiliser to the cultivators in Punjab, out of which, 50 percent amount will be provided by the federal government. The programme will continue till November 26.
More than 2,39,000 affected farmers of 1452 villages will benefit from this relief package of the government, he added.
It may be added that Punjab Agriculture Department has already kicked off wheat sowing campaign from Barani areas for the Rabi season 2010-11 which contributes about 10 percent of the total wheat production in Punjab. Last year, wheat was cultivated on 17.08 million acres in Punjab, out of which 1.36 million acres were in Barani areas.