SWABI: Tomato growers here on Monday demanded of the government to purchase their produce at reasonable rates, and save them from the exploitation of traders.

During a visit to tomato farms, this scribe observed that growers were perturbed due to a lack of mechanism to sell their crop, fearing financial losses and exploitation at the hands of vegetable traders.

Nooral Zaman, a resident of Maneri Bala area, who regularly grows tomatoes, said the big issue faced by them was the traders always devised a joint strategy to purchase their produce at throwaway rates.

“We have given up cultivating tobacco crop and started growing vegetables, especially tomato, but we are also being discouraged by the apathy of the government,” he said.

The growers said when they took their produce to the local vegetable market, they faced harsh attitude of traders. They added traders were even not ready to purchase tomato at Rs40 per kilogramme.

During Eidul Azha days, the traders bought tomato at Rs50 per kg and sold the same at Rs200 per kg, but there was no one to question them, the growers complained.

They said even growing tomato was getting expensive due to the prevailing inflation.

Qaisar Khan, another tomato grower, said the vegetable traders exploited them without any hindrance.

Liaqat Yousafzai, central general secretary of Kashtkar Coordination Council, said the serious issue was the missing link between the government and the farmers, and the absence of policy to protect the growers from exploitation.

KILLED: A man was killed and his 12-year-old daughter was injured after unknown persons allegedly threw them into a well here on Monday, Rescue 1122 officials said.

They said they received information that a man, Lal Zareen and his daughter were thrown into a well in Chaknodah area. They said a rescue team immediately reached the spot and succeeded to pull them out in serious condition.

The officials said the injured were taken to Bacha Khan Teaching Hospital, where the man was pronounced dead by doctors, while his daughter was admitted for treatment. She was in critical condition.

It was not immediately known as to who was involved in throwing them into the well.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2024