November 20, 2007	Tuesday	Ziqa’ad 09, 1428

VEHARI, Nov 19: Wheat growers are facing Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer’s acute shortage, apparently created artificially by stockists and agency holders, and this is hampering the sowing process.

Traders flatly refuse all ordinary buyers in open market, saying that all the stocks had been sold out because of rocketing demand of the fertilizer amid wheat sowing season, which otherwise seems a genuine excuse.

However, one could buy a 50-kilogramme DAP bag at an escalated price of Rs1,700 instead of Rs1,350 control price fixed by the government but in the black market and that too on the recommendation of political leaders and influential officials, particularly policemen.

The rate is likely to ascend further in the coming two weeks, as this is peak time to sow wheat. The season culminates on or around Nov 30 every year, causing a flying demand of fertilizers during this period and hoarders misuse this opportunity to earn out-of-proportion profits.

Many traders stock fertilizer bags in their godowns in rural areas to evade any raid by price control magistrates or district government officials and the practice goes on unchecked every year.

The district administration has, however, refuted the impression that the district was in grip of DAP shortage.

A survey conducted by Dawn has revealed that complaints of hoarding fertilizer bags started emerging a week ago and were rising with every passing day.

Locals belonging to Karam Pur locality said that district administration and the provincial government have failed to ensure provision of DAP fertilizers to growers on control rate.

They said the district administration had not taken any action against dealers involved in hoarding and black-marketing ahead of wheat sowing every year.

A farmer of Thingi locality said he purchased DAP bags from a dealer after ‘approaching’ a police official while another belonging to Mailsi said he purchased the fertilizer on a ‘recommendatory’ chit issued by an official of the district administration.

Muhammad Javed, a representatives of local grain market’s traders, told Dawn that majority of traders had purchased stocks of DAP around two months back when its rate was Rs1,300 to Rs1,400 per 50kg bag.

He said the govt decreased the prices around two weeks later without consulting the dealers’ representative which was one of the main causes behind DAP’s current shortage.

He said that majority of dealers had stocked fertilizers in their godowns in rural areas and small towns like Machhiwal, Tibba Sultanpur, Piply, Karampur, Luddan, Gagoo, Grah Morr, Thingi, Jallajeem, Mitro and Sahuka and that’s why the local market was suffering shortage of DAP fertilizer.

According to a DAP agency holder, the magistrates or district administration officials checked and visited their depots situated in local grain market and not their godowns in rural areas. He said these dealers, somehow or the other, succeeded in satisfying the officials that their stocks were open to ordinary buyers.

Another trader said that it was an ‘open secret’ that the agency holders had their godowns filled to their capacity but they sell DAP fertilizer to only those who were recommended by either district or tehsil nazim or some senior officials.

An owner of a DAP agency said that he had invested huge money in stocking the DAP fertilizer and was justified in earning ‘arbitrary profit’.

District Coordination Officer Hameedullah Sheikh claimed that there was no shortage of DAP anywhere in the district.

He assured that his administration would take all possible steps to curb black marketing of DAP fertilizer and would ensure its supply on subsidised rates to farmers throughout the district. However, farmers claim that no such step has been taken as yet.

A representative of a fertilizer company warned dealers that they might suffer a loss in the end because supply of bulk of stocks from company stores to open market was likely and this could affect their profiteering spree. Another dealer said that all companies had suspended advance booking of fertilizers.

Jawed Ali Shah, a Kisan Board leader, said farmers were facing difficulties in purchasing DAP fertilizer due to monopoly of some companies. He said the government should compel the companies to give fertilizer to dealers without any stipulations, as some companies were forcing dealers to buy their other products, including pesticides, along with DAP fertilizer.

He said everyone now wanted to invest his money in purchasing DAP and other fertilizers and a number of people were visiting the local market for this purpose daily.

A representatives of a company told Dawn that his company had neither suspended the advance booking nor was it stipulating any conditions to sell DAP fertilizer.

Growers have urged the district government to consult their representatives and plan how to control the menace of hoarding fertilizers recurring every year. They also urged the government to ensure abundant supply of DAP and other fertilizers at prescribed rates so that the wheat produce target could be achieved.