MIRPURKHAS, April 21: Sowing of cotton and chilli crops in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sanghar and Tharparkar has hit snags due to non-availability of fertiliser and nitrogen phosphate in the local markets.

Sowing season of the two cash crops has started amid shortage of nitrogen fertilisers, including DAP and Nitrogen phosphate, which have almost disappeared from the local markets multiplying problems of growers.

According to General Secretary of the Sindh Abadgar Board, Mirpurkhas chapter, Imtiaz Ali Panhwar, the government had announced a subsidy on DAP fertiliser for sowing of the above crops but these inputs were not available with the dealers.

He apprehended that sowing of these crops would further be delayed in case the fertilisers were not made available in the market.

Inamuddin Pirzada, Divisional President of Pesticide and Fertiliser Dealers Association, Mirpurkhas, accused the mill owners and importers of creating an artificial shortage of nitrogen fertilisers, including DAP and nitrogen fertiliser in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sanghar and Tharparkar.

He demanded of the government to ensure provision of fertilisers to dealers so that they could be supplied onward to the growers.