HYDERABAD, March 23: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture at a meeting here on Sunday warned that if the wheat support price was not fixed at Rs1,000 per 40kg, no one would be able to stop the smuggling of the commodity which would create a food crisis in the country.

Congratulating the prime minister designate, Yousuf Raza Gilani, the meeting reminded him that he was a farmer and aware of problems confronting the farming community and agriculture sector. Therefore, he should frame agriculture friendly policies.

Speaking on the occasion, chamber general secretary Akhund Ghulam Mohammad Siddiqui expressed concern over increase in the prices of fertilizers, petrol, and diesel and demanded that the prices of essential agricultural inputs should be decreased to avoid crisis.

He further demanded that the shortage of water in Sindh should be eliminated otherwise the kharif crops and orchards would be destroyed and the growers would suffer irreparable losses.

The meeting pointed out that the main problems confronting the farming community of Sindh were the acute shortage of water and non-payment of notified rates to growers which needed to be resolved on priority basis.

It observed that the sale of spurious pesticides was continuing with impunity. It demanded that exemplary punishment should be awarded to manufacturers and dealers of spurious pesticides.

UNJUST TREATMENT: The Institute of Sindh Affairs has condemned the unjust treatment meted out to the farming community by the government and departments concerned and said that due to an acute shortage of water, seeds, and fertilizers, the agriculture sector was being destroyed. In a statement, the chairman of the institute, Prof Asif Ali Qazi, senior vice-chairman Prof Ameer Ali Qadri, Himat Ali Pitafi and others said the low rate of sugarcane and wheat had deprived growers of their sources of livelihood and their children were starving.