HYDERABAD, Nov 25: Sindh Chamber of Agriculture president Syed Qamaruzzaman

Shah has called upon the government to restore the wheat support price and fix it at Rs600 per 40kg to encourage the farming community to grow more wheat.

Speaking at a meeting of the chamber here on Sunday, he reminded the government that it was importing wheat at Rs1,100 per 40kg and spending a huge amount in foreign exchange. Therefore, he said, the demand for the minimum support price of Rs600 per 40kg was justified.

He said that the subsidy provided by previous governments on Urea and DAP fertilisers should continue as the cost of production of crops had tremendously increased.

He said that although the sowing of Rabi crop had started yet the government had failed to announce the minimum support price of wheat which had created confusion and concern among the wheat growers.

Mr Shah said that the farming community was being left at the mercy of brokers and added that the support price of wheat must be announced without any further delay.

The meeting pointed out that the government had fixed minimum price of sugarcane at Rs67 per 40kg but the sugar mills of Khairpur district were not paying the price to the growers which was causing heartburning among them.

It urged the government to take notice of the matter and ensure that the sugarcane growers of Khairpur district were paid the fixed price.

The meeting demanded that a fulltime cane commissioner should be appointed in Sindh to solve the problems being faced by the sugarcane growers.

Those who attended the meeting included Akhund Ghulam Mohammad Siddiqui, Mir Murad Ali Talpur, Anwar Bachani, Qadir Bux Marri and Mohammad Khan Sarejo.