LARKANA: Though recent spells of rains and hailstorm have inflicted damage on the harvested and mature crop of wheat in Larkana division, Sindh will get a bumper crop and a shortage of wheat or flour is unlikely in the lockdown-hit province.

This was stated by Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) Larkana president Siraj-ul-Oliya Rashdi while speaking to Dawn on Monday.

He said wheat, according to the estimates of 2019, was cultivated on 220,000 acres of land in Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts. He did not agree with the notion that locust swarms’ attacks in the early cultivation period had caused any remarkable damage to the crop.

About Sindh government’s official procurement price of Rs1,400/40kg, he said despite announcement having been made for procurement, not a single procurement centre had been established as yet.

‘Growers were facing a difficult situation, as they could not transport the stocks to the market due to lockdown and tightened restrictions by the police.’

Currently traders were offering Rs1,300-1400/40kg, thereby leaving little attraction for growers to go to the procurement centres, he said. However, reports collected from markets indicated that piles of harvested crop in the kutcha belt and other wheat-growing areas were looking for transport means to reach market.

Altaf Metlo, a trader in the New Anaj Mandi [grain market] said growers were facing a difficult situation, as they could not transport the stocks to the market due to lockdown and tightened restrictions by the police.

“They keep on calling us where to go as the delay will prove problematic for them,” he said. How they could repay their bank loans and advances they had traditionally obtained from the businessmen dealing in wheat trade in markets, he asked.

Growers were surviving under heavy loans which they had to clear in the specified period and in case of failure they would bear the brunt of interest on their loans, he pointed out.

“A ban has been placed on the inter-district transportation of wheat owing to which private purchasing price of the commodity has come down from Rs1,550/40kg to Rs1,350/40kg, claimed Mr Rashdi. He expected a three million tonnes wheat yield in Sindh this year, and foresaw no shortage in the days to come.

About vegetables which traders were purchasing at lower rates from growers but selling in market at higher rates in these days of lockdown, he said it was quite uncalled for. “Growers sell fresh coriander at the rate of Rs10 per kilo while traders sell it in market at Rs50-60 a kilo. Tomatoes are being sold at Rs30 per kilo whereas it is purchased from growers at Rs10 per kilo.”

He alleged that traders were purchasing wheat at lower rate but selling flour at Rs60 per kilo which was not justifiable. He, however, was unsure about stability in the prices of onion.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2020