DADU: Though over a week has passed since the lockdown implemented by the Sindh government to contain the coronavirus pandemic, officials have failed to distribute gunny bags among growers and devise any strategy for procuring wheat from them.

Sindh had a bumper crop of wheat, but the recent rains and hailstorms have affected the produce, they complained.

If the food department delays purchase of wheat, the commodity lying in the field would be affected and the growers would face huge losses.

Growers complain that food officials were neither providing them gunny bags nor buying the commodity from them.

Sindh Abadgar Board Dadu chapter president Mohammad Umer Jamali said that 30 million maunds of wheat was lying stocked in Radhan, Nau Goath, Moundar, Jhallo, Purano Deero, Thrari Mohabbat, Fareedabad, Mehar, KN Shah and other areas of Dadu district.

Speaking to Dawn, he said that in some areas wheat was being harvested, but still procurement was not started by the food department.

A small grower of Pipri, Aftab Ahmed Bhand, said that food department officials had not provided gunny bags to growers.

District food controller Allah Warayo said that 0.9 million bags of wheat was the target fixed by the food department at Rs3,500 per 100kg bag.

Speaking to Dawn, he said that total 38 wheat procurement centres were established in the district. He said that within seven days, gunny bags would be provided to the wheat growers and purchasing would be started.

A leader of small growers association of Sehwan, Fazal Hussain Jamali, complained to this reporter that people had started reaping their crop in different parts of Jamshoro district. He added that procurement centres were not established in the district.

Food officials were purchasing wheat from big and influential landlords, he said, adding that small growers were selling their commodity to local traders at Rs3,000 to Rs3,100 per 100kg bag.

Food department Hyderabad region deputy director Zahid Baloch told Dawn that the target of 3.1m bags of wheat was fixed for Hyderabad region to be purchased from growers. But still purchase of wheat was not started in Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, Tando Allahyar, Tando Mohammad Khan, Matiari, Dadu and Jamshoro districts, he said.

The Sindh government, he said, had started to supply gunny bags to food officials and wheat procurement centres were set up in all parts of the region, though offices were closed due to lockdown situation. He said that within a few days, wheat procurement would be started.

A grower of Qambar-Shahdadkot, Shah Mohammad Mugheri, said that despite the lockdown, food officials were in contact with big landlords and political bigwigs of the district like Chandio and Magsi tribal chiefs to purchase wheat from them.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2020