PAKISTAN is an agricultural country, with 45 per cent of its labour force directly or indirectly linked with the sector. Therefore, it is only understandable that the country’s economic stability pivots on the sustainability of this sector.

Amid the pressing requirement of urea fertiliser, traders and hoarders have jacked up rates to Rs2,300 per bag, blatantly flouting government directives of selling the commodity at Rs1,768.

Besides the ever-increasing fuel rates, the urea prices going through the roof have added to the woes of the farmers. An increase in the price of urea — a significantly used fertiliser for crop growth and yield — will undoubtedly inflate the cost of farming, effectively undermining the sustainability of the entire sector.

Meanwhile, the government has tried to overcome the negative impacts of the urea price hike by providing it to the farmers directly. However, three urea packs are being provided at government rates against one Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), which is simply not enough.

People are facing multiple issues in this regard. First, three packs of urea are insufficient for even three hectares of wheat or canola crop. Second, long queues of farmers to get hold of the subsidised commodity have practically made it impossible for everyone to make use of the facility. Third, there is no separate window for senior citizens, who are mercilessly left to try their luck amid the crowd.

The government should take concrete steps to regulate the price of urea for the benefit of the agriculture sector, in general, and the small farmers, in particular.

Huzaifa Saleem Joyia
Mianwali

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2021