SANGHAR, April 9: Wheat traders are fleecing the growers due to the newly enforced wheat procurement policy of the government.

Minimum wheat price has been fixed at Rs300 per 40 kilograms by the government but the traders are buying it at Rs235 to Rs245.

The traders are also taking two to three kilograms wheat in excess for every 100 kilograms bag on the account of Bardana weight, dust and dampness.

The new wheat purchase policy has made it difficult for the small growers to sale their commodity at the government wheat procurement centre due to which the traders are taking full advantage of the weaker financial position of the farmers.

When the growers take their produce to the traders, they show little interest in purchasing it and after repeated requests of the farmers, they agree to take it on barter, that is, the farmer will not demand cash but he will buy fertilizer, seed pesticide etc, that too, on high prices.

Seeing no other way, the farmers have to dispose off their produce on low prices.

The wheat crop is already damaged by the drought. There was no water in canals for almost two months and the wheat crop received only one or two irrigations from sowing to harvesting.

WATER: The Dim Wah and other canals of Sinjhoro taluka received water on Tuesday, after remaining closed for two months.