12 January 2004	Monday	19 Ziqa'ad 1424

BADIN, Jan 11: More than 40 per cent of land prepared for sunflower cultivation in the district could not be utilized due to non-availability of the certified seed.

According to a survey conducted by this correspondent, more than 160,000 acres of land were prepared for sunflower cultivation but the crop could not be sown on 65,000 acres due to the non-supply of the seed.

The government has failed to announce a policy to ensure provision of the certified seed to growers who depend on various companies selling seed through their agents in Sindh.

The Seed Certification Department of Pakistan has also not been able to redress the grievances of the growers and due to its alleged negligence, black marketing of the seed has increased.

There are complaints about the shortage of seed and that agents are selling sunflower seed at Rs1,000 per kilogramme, thrice more than the actual price, which forced the growers to leave their developed land without sowing sunflower.

A grower of Golarchi, Mohammad Mushtaq, said he was compelled to buy sunflower seed at a higher price as he had spent a big amount on the preparation of his lands.

He said the black marketing of the seed had rendered a serious blow to the sunflower cultivation and complained that the government had made no arrangements for distribution of certified varieties of seed among the growers.

Mohammad Bachal Ahmadani, a grower of Shaheed Fazil Rahu, said in the past, the Ghee Corporation had a stock of improved varieties of sunflower and had made arrangements for its cultivation but now sunflower growers were not being provided with any help.

Grower Mohammad Juman Mallah said he had prepared 10 acres out of his 20 acres of land but could cultivate sunflower on six acres. He said he failed to bring the whole area of developed land under cultivation as he bought 15 kgs of sunflower seed at Rs13,000.

The president, Sindh Abadgar Board, Golarchi taluka, Mohammad Bukhsh Jatoi, held seed-producing companies responsible for the seed shortage in the Badin district and he alleged that a particular province was provided with a big quantity of seed.

He said the fixed rate of the seed of good varieties of sunflower, Monsento-1435, 187, 33, 22 and 101, Sam Son-30, Pioneer-63-A and 81 and NA-278, varied from Rs245 per kilogramme to Rs425 per kilogramme. He said the seeds of Hysun-33, 38 and 37 were even not available at Rs425 per kg.

He said Suncross of the Pakistan Oilseed Board was the cheapest seed as its rate was Rs245 but it was also not available in the market. Mr Jatoi demanded impartial inquiries into what he called the artificial shortage and black marketing of seed in the district.

When contacted, agriculture EDO Mohammad Usman Sial said 119,652 acres of land had been brought under sunflower cultivation in Badin against last year's cultivated area of 86,000 acres.

He said it was a cash crop and 12 to 20 maunds could be produced on an acre, adding the purchase price of the produce was Rs750 per maund. He said the sunflower crop was suitable for farmers in Sindh as it needed less water than other crops.

Meanwhile, sunflower growers have started a campaign to persuade sugarcane growers of the district to switch over to sunflower cultivation. Abdul Jabbar Gopang, Syed Zafar Shah, Mohammad Nawaz and other growers said they would receive more benefits by cultivating sunflower and they would also be able to get rid of excesses of sugar mill owners.

DOG-BITE: The incidents of dog-bite are on the rise in different parts of the district. According to Dr Hashmat Khwaja, no anti-rabies vaccine is available at the government hospitals.