LAHORE: Diesel shortage may hit wheat harvesting and sowing of Kharif crops as farmers are queuing up at filling stations to get oil supplies in various areas of Punjab.

Reports particularly from south Punjab districts suggest that diesel is either not available or its supplies are short at filling stations. Farmers who have harvested wheat and are waiting for its threshing are worried that if diesel supplies are not stabilised, their crop may be damaged because of high winds and possible rains in the month of May.

Farmers from various regions blame panic buying for the shortage on the rumours that the oil prices may be increased from May 1. “Some of our colleagues are trying to hoard the oil in anticipation of an increase in its prices, putting stress on the supplies,” says Fayyaz from Chishtian.

Ahmad Jawad, former chairman of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) committee on agriculture, blames the oil marketing companies and filling station owners for not supplying diesel to the customers despite having sufficient stocks as a jump of over Rs25 per litre from May 1, if the government increases the price as being expected, will guarantee them a handsome profit.

Farmers queue up at filling stations due to erratic supply

He urges the Punjab chief secretary to take action for ensuring availability of diesel on filling stations so that the ongoing wheat harvesting and sowing of new crops is not affected.

Kisan Board Pakistan vice president Amanullah Chathha regrets that on one hand diesel shortage is being created in the market and on the other the Punjab Food Department and Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation have decided to shut down many of its wheat procurement centres after two weeks of the current procurement campaign.

He says that the government agencies’ decision will put the wheat growers at the mercy of private dealers because there is a ban on the inter-district movement of grain suppressing its prices in the open market.

He demands that the government should keep its procurement centres open for a month for stabilising the wheat market at Rs2,200 per 40kg, the official minimum support price.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2022