AGRICULTURE
Farmers in Sindh are again worried on falling yields from the current wheat crop this season. Sudden rise of temperature during the growing season, followed by fluctuations in winter temperatures have caused massive losses to the farmers. Similarly, shortages of water during the middle of the crop season also hit the yields.
A delay in setting up of procurement centres in all the wheat growing areas, especially when the harvest has started with thresher machines running round the clock is already creating anxiety amongst the growers. They also believe the middlemen are intentionally depriving them of better rates for their produce.
Growers in Sindh in previous years harvested 60-75 mounds/acre of various wheat varieties, including TD-1, TJ-83, Kiran-95, SKD-1, Sarsabz and Benazir 2013. This season the yield fell to 40-50 mounds/acre due to water shortages and unsteady temperatures. They claimed their livelihoods are on stake as around 60 percent of farmers in the province are wheat growers.
The provincial government this season increased sowing area with a hope to produce more wheat to bridge demand gap. Officials say initially crops appeared better. But the output fell sharply after harvesting which started in the first week of March in Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot districts. Other districts including Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Hyderabad, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Naushahro Feroze, Dadu, Jamshoro and some parts of Khairpur started harvesting n the middle of March, while northern districts, including Jacobabad, Kashmore, Larkana, Shahdadkot and Shikarpur in the first week of April.
Wheat is the key cash crop of farmers in Sindh and its output gives direction to most of the other crops in the province including rice, mullet and sorghum.
Experts said wheat fields need water, but most of the growers at the tail end areas of the province faced water storages at the stage when the crop is in the final stage. They blamed authorities for mismanagement on water distributions. Farmers complained that they received water at least two months late, which destroyed crops, leaving them high and dry. This season, farmers say, they lost oily crops in their areas because of water mismanagement by the provincial government.
They also blamed the government on its reluctance to set up procurement centres on time to facilitate growers.
Farmers staged protests in various part of the wheat belt in the province, demanding the government to ensure better rates for their produce. The government eyes to buy 1.1 million tons of wheat this season, but the growers are asking the authorities to procure at least 1.5 million tons.
Officials said the government already has wheat stocks from the last year crop in it warehouses and buying any extra quantity means cost on new story facilities.
The government wheat buying price is Rs1,300/mound this season. But farmers are currently selling their produce at Rs1,100/mound in the open market due to poor planning and lack of monitoring on the part of government officials. They said middle men are getting huge benefit in the current season, depriving growers from their right.
Experts said ironically the government’s fixed wheat buy price is not for the small farmers. “It is only for the big growers, producing over 10,000 -- 15,000 mounds wheat,” said an expert. “But farmers who produce less than 10,000 mounds have no price incentive or even any access to the procurement centres.”
The expert says big farmers are closing deals at Rs1,100/mound. “However, most of the small farmers are forced to sell their produce at a rate of Rs1,000/mound.”
Reports of political favouritism in distribution of gunny bags are also pouring in from the northern districts of Sindh including Jacobabad, Kandhkot, Larkana and Shikarpur. The farmers, who do not have access to the power corridors, are facing trouble to transport their wheat and vacate the land for sowing of the forthcoming Kharif crop of cotton.
The government wheat procurement policy also lacks proper planning. This can be gauged from the fact that around 60 to 70 percent wheat has been harvested but procurement centres have yet to be established in the province.
There is no official data to assess the crop losses in the province this season, but independent researchers believe at least 35 percent less yield in the province this season. This will lead to delay in sowing of kharif crops like cotton, sugarcane and rice. The new Kharif season will start next week.
Experts warned that non availability of inputs, inefficient fertiliser usage, weed infestation, shortages of irrigation water, climate change, soil degradation and improper services may contribute to further loss to the crops in the future.
They said late sowing of wheat crop because of behind schedule harvest of Kharif crops (cotton, rice, and sugarcane) is also hurting crop yields in the province. “The crop is exposed to heat stress at grain filling period leading to the formation of shrivelled grain,” one expert said.
Experts suggested that a new holistic and well-coordinated strategy should be chalked out to improve wheat productivity both on large and small farms. The procurement policy should be further improved with strict monitoring system to avoid uncertainty of flour shortage in the vulnerable areas.
The writer is a staff member
