Govt urged to shut factories manufacturing fake fertilisers

NAWABSHAH: The ill-planned agriculture policies of the government have brought the poor peasants and small growers on the verge of starvation despite the fact that the country mostly depends on agriculture. 

This was observed at the annual meeting of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture here.   The meeting demanded of the Sindh government to shut the factories manufacturing fake fertilizers and pesticides; reclaim saline and waterlogged agriculture lands; ensure effective and just distribution of canal water and proper rates of crops. 

Addressing the meeting, Divisional President of the Chamber of Agriculture, Naz Dharejo, General Secretary Muhammad Saleh and Administrator of the Chamber of Agriculture Zulfiqar Dharejo said that fake fertilizers and pesticides were destroying agriculture.  They alleged that some people in the government were partners in the illegal business and that was the reason no action was taken against the illegal business despite the matter having been raised at the provincial assembly. 

They said that in the past FIRs were registered against manufacturers of fake pesticides and fertilizer by the director-general of agriculture but all in vain.  Speakers said that the irrigation department was also being run on the basis of favoritism, and some influential landlords were stealing canal water through large pipes. 

They said that on the other hand the middle and lower class agriculturists were deprived of their legitimate share of water for even drinking purposes.  They said that SCARP was also on the verge of disaster where tube wells drilled to control water logging and salinity had disappeared.  They said that even the tube well pipes and motors had been stolen while drains were filled with dust.