CHARSADDA: Growers’ leaders have deplored the disbanding of the Insaf Food Programme by the provincial government, under which farmers were given wheat seed at subsidised rate.

Talking to Dawn, Awan-i-Zaraat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa press secretary Zahir Shah Behlulah, Kisan Board district president Abdul Akbar Khan and Farm Services Centre president Abdullah Jan said each farmer had deposited Rs500 to get a sack of wheat seed this year, but the programme was abruptly abandoned. They said the move had not only inflicted financial losses on the poor farmers but also delayed wheat sowing season which would obviously impact bumper production of the crop. They feared wheat scarcity in the province due to less production.

They alleged that last year outdated wheat seed was distributed among the farmers, which badly affected their production.

The farmers’ leaders said despite establishment of the so-called research laboratories per acre yield had come down to mere five to six maund. They recalled that a particular type of wheat seed was introduced in Gen Ayub Khan era which gave 25 maund per acre yield.

They alleged that genuine members of the Chamber of Agriculture KP were ignored in the formation of the Kisan Board, last year, while mill owners were facilitated. They also came down hard on the government for not accepting their demand to bring the owners of sugarcane crushing factories and farmers on the negotiating table to set the price sugarcane with mutual interest, and only accepted the rates presented by the former.

They demanded of the government to include farmers’ representatives in the Cane Board to protect the interest of the growers.

STRAY DOGS: Over a dozen people have been hospitalised after they were bitten by stray dogs, but unavailability of anti-rabies vaccine at the Tangi tehsil hospital has further aggravated the situation.

The panic-gripped residents demanded of the TMA and the health department to take action against stray dogs, else the people would stage protests.

Local residents said the mushroom growth of stray dogs had panicked the local population.

Published in Dawn December 3rd, 2016