SANGHAR, July 22: Prices of fresh cotton crop are sliding down sharply in this district despite the government’s move to fix the rate at Rs800 per 40kgs.
Trading on Monday spiralled between Rs740 and Rs760 per unit of 40kgs and the traders were also obliging the buyers by deducting 1kg on each unit.
The panicked cotton growers feared a repeat of the last year’s cotton market crash which was blamed on manipulation by textile mills owners.
STRONG WINDS: Bad weather over the last few days has caused an extensive damage to cotton, chili, sugarcane and vegetable crops in this district.
Strong winds, which are blowing intermittently, turned into a sand storm on Sunday. Dust has created a thick layer on the leaves of different crops not only damaging the plantation but also threatening the growth.
Growers indicated that at least one spell of rain within a week was essential to salvage the crop.
On the other hand freshly sown Bajra (Millet), Guwaar and Juwaar crops in the rain fed areas of Thar and Achro Thar, which are in the emerging stage or hardly one or two inches high, have been buried under the thick layer of sand.
A group of Thari farmers, visiting this district, said that they would have no option but to restart cultivation.
FATAL BLAZE: A factory owner, Seth Kirshan Lal Vasdani, died on Monday after receiving serious burns in the blaze that broke out at his home in Sinjhoro town on Sunday.
Mr Vasdani, owner of the Vasdani Cotton Factory, had reportedly lit a matchstick to detect leakage in gas pipeline in one of the bathrooms at his home.
Witnesses said that the bathroom was already filled with gas and fire broke out with a big bang.
SEMINAR: The reserved seats for women in national and provincial assemblies should be distributed equally in the districts and a code of ethics to create a women-friendly atmosphere be imposed to ensure the maximum participation of women in the October election.
This was stated by participants in a seminar on advocacy and awareness for women’s political participation in the electoral process, which was held in Sanghar on Sunday.