HYDERABAD, May 13: The Sindh Abadgar Board has reiterated its appeal for government steps to end injustices meted out to Sindh and ensure implementation of the 1991 Water Accord to save agriculture of the province and livelihood of the people associated with its agrarian economy.

In a statement faxed to Dawn, board’s vice-president Gada Hussain Mahessar said acute shortage of water, price-hike, mismanagement and lawlessness had hit the farm sector of the province.

Quoting a federal agriculture department report, he said that per acre yield of wheat stood at 24.07 maunds, rice at 40.66 maunds and sugarcane at 662.68 maunds.

Contrary to this, in the developed countries, the per acre yield of wheat stood between 80 and 90 maunds, rice 120 and 130 maunds and sugarcane 2,500 and 3,000 maunds.

Despite enough production, the developed countries were taking additional measures to further increase the per acre yield of important crops, he added.

He pointed out that in the present age of machinery and technology, agriculture in Sindh was lagging far behind due to low productivity and price-hike. Even growers here were in search for other sources of livelihood, he added.

He said that on one hand increase in the prices of oil had proved boon for one group, resulting in mushroom growth of petrol pumps. But on the other, costs of the oil had deprived farmers of their freedom to use agricultural machinery.

Mr Mehasser, who is former president of the Rice Millers and Dealers Association, Sindh and Balochistan, said a 45 horsepower tractor consumed between 7-8 litres of diesel in one hour for ploughing whereas 60-75 horsepower tractor consumed 16-18 litres diesel in one hour.

The prices of chemical fertilisers and pesticides were also going up unchecked and every company was at liberty to increase the prices of their products at their will. Quality and weight of these inputs were also declining, he said.

This situation had led to sale of substandard and adulterated pesticides in the market, with the exception of phosphate and zinc fertilisers. He said, the growers had no facility for soil and fertiliser testing.

The vice-president said multinational companies this year had provided hybrid sunflower seed to the growers for Rs500-600 per kg, but the production loss compared to the last year were between 25-30 per cent per acre. The only cause of production loss was substandard seed, he added.

He said the president had repeatedly said that Sindh would be benefited due to the construction of big dams.

Mr Mahessar, however, argued that Sindh was not receiving its share of water under the existing water accord, what was the guarantee that it would get the share after the construction of dams.

He said the elected members of the assemblies were expressing their helplessness by thumping desks and staging walkouts.