VEHARI, Oct 6: Cotton growers announced on Saturday that they would observe a wheel-jam strike from Oct 10 if the government failed to alleviate their sufferings.

A large number of growers took out a protest procession in the Thata-Sadiqabad area near Jamniya on the call given by the Anjuman Falah-i-Kashtkaran.

Addressing the protesters their leaders said the government had fixed phutti’s support price at Rs780 per 40 kilograms. But the farmers were forced to sell their produce as low as Rs600 per 40 kgs.

They demanded that the government should fix the support price at Rs1,200 per 40 kgs. They also demanded that the Cotton Trading Corporation (CTC) and the Cotton Export Corporation (CEC) should be restored.

They threatened that they would launch a country-wide campaign against the government if their demand were not accepted.

The protesters blocked the Thata-Multan road for about an hour and also burnt over 100 kgs of cotton. After the procession they dispersed peacefully.