May 3, 2006	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 4, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

HYDERABAD, May 2: The Sindh Abadgar Board has said that wheat price in the market has plummeted to Rs380 per 40kg while the government has issued instructions for its procurement at the rate of Rs415. In a communication addressed to the Sindh chief minister on Tuesday, SAB president Majeed Nizamani demanded that the government should issue urgent instructions to the food department to immediately supply gunnybags to farmers as wheat harvesting was in full swing in upper Sindh.

He said that farmers of Ghotki district were facing problems of non-availability of gunnybags.

He said that the growers who always sold wheat to the department should be given 25 per cent more bags when compared to the last year to encourage them to keep on supplying wheat to the government.

The SAB president said that the farmers were not at all in a position to hold back the sale of wheat for a long period if the government did not come to their rescue.

He said that middle men and hoarders were trying their level best to purchase wheat from farmers at cheaper rates with a view to fleecing the government and consumers at a later stage.

Mr Nizamani said that the wheat yield in Sindh was lower than the last year and that by the end of the year the country was likely to face shortage of wheat.

He said that for the food security, the government must stock wheat to meet the shortage.

He said that timely purchase of wheat from the growers would also help them cover the cost of production and encourage them to grow more wheat next year.

TRAINING COURSE: Sindh Agriculture Secretary Muhkamudin Qadri directed growers to pay full attention to cultivation of fruits and vegetables.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the conclusion of training course for gardeners at the Sakrand Agriculture Training Institute, he said that the agriculture department would provide technical assistance to growers who showed interest in the horticulture sector.

He said that the department had already started training programmes for men and women Malhis (gardeners) in the institute.

The director general of the Sindh Agriculture Extension, Mr Naeem Korejo, said that training of Malhis would be helpful in reduction of unemployment in rural Sindh and increase in the production of fruits and vegetables.

Qaim Ali Shah, director training for Malhi students, also spoke on the occasion.