05 September 2004	Sunday	19 Rajab 1425

HYDERABAD, Sept 4: The Sindh Abadgar Board has said that the irrigation water for the Kharif season was released 45 days late and its quantity was 55 per cent less.

In its working committee meeting on Saturday presided over by Majeed Nizamani, the board expressed concerned over the destruction of the agriculture sector in Sindh.

It said in the Kotri Barrage area and the rice belt of upper Sindh, the shortage of water had been to the extent of 70 per cent.

It noted that the paddy crop which should have been sown in April, May and June, was cultivated in July and Aug hardly to the extent of 50 per cent.

The meeting observed that protest demonstrations were being held in Sindh towns due to an acute shortage of water.

It was pointed out that in Punjab two crops of the Kharif season were cultivated but Sindh could not sow even one full crop.

It demanded that the prime minister, Sindh governor and chief minister and other relevant authorities should look as to why Punjab cultivated two crops of rice and maize during the Kharif season.

It demanded that water should be released at all costs by Oct 15 to save the Kharif crop and for the Rabi season water should be released on Nov 1.

The meeting urged the government to direct sugar mills to start the crushing of sugarcane from Oct 15 to save the sugarcane from drying up and also to enable the preparation of land for wheat crop.

It demanded that all those areas where crops could not be cultivated due to an acute shortage of water, should be declared as calamity-hit areas and the recovery of taxes should be stopped and growers be paid compensation.

It called upon the government to order a comprehensive survey of land and to divide it into various agricultural zones for the cultivation of crops suitable for different zones.

It called for the lining of watercourses on a war footing to avoid water losses and to introduce drip system on account of water shortage.

The meeting proposed that the cultivation of high delta crops, which consume more water, should be discouraged and in order to reduce import bill of Rs40 billion on the import of edible oil, the cultivation of sunflower should be encouraged.

It stressed the need for preparation of hybrid seed, provision of storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses and introduction of the latest technology to preserve perishable commodities like fruits and vegetables.

It demanded that 30 per cent share for growers in the vegetable market shops and export processing zones.

It urged the federal agriculture department to launch a country-wide "grow more wheat" campaign and to ensure the supply of phosphatic fertilizer.

The meeting demanded that minimum support price of wheat should be fixed at Rs450 per 100kg.