August 06, 2008	Wednesday	Sha’aban 3, 1429

SUKKUR, Aug 5: Artificial shortage and rise in prices of DAP and urea have irked farmers who are forced to pay extra for DAP and urea to save their cotton, sugarcane and paddy crops which otherwise would go waste.

According to the reports collected from Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze and other districts of the province, the price of a bag of DAP is Rs3,100 but it is selling at between Rs3,500 and Rs3,600 in black, while a bag of urea which costs Rs635 is selling at Rs850 and farmers are compelled to buy costly DAP and urea to save their crops.

According to a report from Mirpur Mathelo, where two major urea factories are located —FFC and Engro Urea — the situation in the Ghotki district is same and despite the farmers’ protest. Nothing has been done to control the prices of DAP and urea and the dealers are selling it at exorbitant rates.

Some of the DAP and urea dealers told local journalists that as DAP was costly, farmers were using more urea to avoid the use of it, therefore, the dealers were compelled to increase the price of urea to divert farmers to the use of DAP. Farmers said that there was no shortage of DAP or urea but the dealers were hoarding it to sell it at exorbitant rates.

They said DAP and urea were being sold to traders of Punjab on high rates, while local farmers were being deprived of it and as a result, their crops were badly affected.