SUKKUR, April 25 The DCO Ghotki has immediately put a ban on paddy cultivation throughout the district, directing growers to switch over to alternative crops.

If any landlord or grower had already sown paddy, he should voluntarily destroy it and switch over to some other crops, DCO Zahid Ali Abbasi said presiding over a meeting of landlords and growers on Saturday.

When participants of the meeting expressed reservations on the ban, the DCO said it was government's policy and he was bound to implement it.

Some growers complained about the shortage of urea fertilizer and water in Ghotki feeder. The DCO assured them that ample water would be available in Ghotki feeder from May 1, while all efforts would be taken to overcome urea shortage.

The district nazim Ghotki and other participants assured the DCO of their full cooperation in this regard.

When this reporter contacted EDO agriculture Ghotki Riaz Dayo, he said as the paddy was a high delta crop and was resulting into water logging and salinity, causing damage to the land. He said that despite a ban last year paddy was cultivated over 100,000 acres in Ghotki district, leaving cotton crop short of target. Cotton growing target was 105,000 hectors, but it was sown over 72,000 hectors only, he added.

Asked about alternate crops in the district, Mr Dayo suggested that the growers could switch over to the cultivation of sunflower, Soya bean, maize and mustard. These crops could be cultivated easily and the growers could get more profit by switching over to those crops, he said