SWABI: Small farmers here are gradually switching to other professions to earn livelihood, saying it has become difficult for them to meet increasing cost of production in the wake of rising prices of farming tools, fertiliser and pesticides.

In an interaction with this correspondent, they said that the cost of production of different crops had increased manifold, but they did not get any assistance from government or reasonable price for their produce.

They said that in past agricultural tools, pesticides and fertilisers were cheap and even low cost labour was available, but the situation had changed with unprecedented inflation now.

Complain there is no mechanism to sell produce at reasonable price

The farmers said that there was no mechanism under which they could sell their yield at reasonable prices. They said that usually the business community or companies bought the crops from them at throwaway prices.

Tariq Khan, a farmer of Kotha village, said that the traders bought a bag having five cauliflowers at Rs40 from him and then they charge Rs50 for one piece in the market, making big profits.

Majority of the farmers said that they had been sending their youth to urban areas or abroad for jobs to earn livelihood. “I have sent my two sons to a Gulf country for job,” said Zar Mohammad, a peasant of the same region.

Kisan Board district president Khalid Khan and district chief of Anjuman-i-Kashthkaran Alam Sher said that the farmers had told them that their children were no longer interested in agriculture due to low returns.

They demanded of the government to introduce result-oriented reforms in the agriculture sector to save the small farmers.

KILLED: Two people were killed in separate incidents here on Tuesday, said police.

Registering an FIR, injured Khair Zaman, a resident of Chanai in Gadoon Amazai, told police that he along with his brother, Safdar Zaman, were returning after attending proceeding of their case in a local court when their rival, Sher Mohammad, opened firing at them near Chota Lahor Chowk.

As a result, he was injured and Safdar Zaman was killed on the spot. He was taken to Bacha Khan Hospital Complex. The cause of the incident was stated to be an old enmity.

In another incident, one Ismail Khan was electrocuted in Gala village.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2019