THATTA, July 12: A large number of small growers took to the streets in Mirpur Bathoro town on Saturday in protest against what they called artificial increase in the prices of agricultural inputs, especially fertiliser.

Led by Hassan Khawaja, Iqbal Shoro and others, the growers gathered on the Sujawal-Hyderabad road where the leaders said that in a recent briefing to the prime minister in the presence of federal ministers of agriculture and industries, prices of 50kg urea bag granules and sample urea produced by NFC, FFC and Pak Arab were cited much less than the prevailing market price.

They demanded that the government form vigilance committees to check sale of fertilisers and urea and ensure the inputs were sold on official rate.