SUKKUR, Jan 7: A large number of farmers and agriculturists in Sindh have diverted to sunflower as a result of which Sunflower crop will be sown on more than double of the target area which was fixed by Pakistan Oilseed Development Board (PODB) Sindh.

This was stated by Waris Shaikh, Director, PODB, Sindh in a news briefing here on Wednesday. As a result of PODB concerted campaign encouraging results of sunflower sowing were received from Jacobabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin and other districts where the crop had received tremendous response from farming community due to its profitable return.

Last year, he said, sunflower had fetched a price of Rs630 per 40 kg, now it was likely to get a return of Rs900 to Rs1000 per 40 kg in the open market. Director, PODB, Sindh said that department was facing problems due to shortage of sunflower seeds, and MINFAL had been requested to take urgent measures to meet the demand.

"We are receiving daily reports from different parts of interior Sindh about the non-availability of sunflower seeds, whereas hundreds of farmers had prepared their lands for sowing the crop," he remarked.