June 03, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 28, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 2: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, at a meeting here on Sunday, expressed concern over an inordinate increase in the prices of fertilisers and noted that fertilizers have disappeared from the market and their prices were beyond the reach of growers. It called upon the government to announce subsidy on fertilisers and ensure their availability in the market to end unrest among the growers.

Expressing concern over energy crisis, it observed that due to shortage of electricity, the agriculture sector has received a tremendous setback.

It urged the government to use huge deposits of Thar coal for producing electricity and start the construction of coal-fired power projects without delay to meet the energy crisis.

It regretted that despite frequent protests by the chamber and other growers’ organisations, the government had failed in directing the sugar mills to pay dues of sugarcane growers. It was high time that the government adopted strict measures to ensure payment of dues to the growers, the meeting observed.

It appealed to the government to ensure availability of water to tail-end growers to save their crops from destruction.