Noor Khan
Basically our country Pakistan is an agricultural one. By the grace of Allah almighty the beautiful rivers made the soil of our homeland very rich and fertile. Pakistan is self-sufficient and full-fledge in both food and cash crops. About 75% of our population are farmers who live in villages and rear cattle and do farming. The farmers mostly rely on agriculture. They grow wheat and paddy crops over a large area of land by dint of better Barrage Irrigation System in the country. Our farmers per annum get bigger and bumper cereals. But it is stated with great regret that our farmers and small growers could not get due rate for their products in local markets. Unfortunately rice mill traders in collusion with govt buy paddy grain on cheaper rates. As a result the farmers and small growers always pass a hard and challenging life. Their life style does not change and always live from hand to mouth and are unable to meet their basic necessities of life. Today if we have a look on recent oil prices it has been increased more than 35% in a short period of time. Owing to this rising inflation and hike in the prices of daily consuming commodities that are on the rampant rise made the lives of labour class and farmer community very miserable. The rate of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides and hybrid seeds are already talking to the sky. The other expenses of ploughing the field, harvesting, threshing have also been increased to an alarming level. How pitiful it is! that every time the farmers and small landlords are not given the reasonable rate of paddy. The shopkeeper mafias and fertilizer dealers always sell DAP, fertilizers, hybrid seeds and insecticides at their own fixed rates. It has been reported and noticed that fraudulently substandard and counterfeit seed is being sold to the growers which incurs loss of billions of rupees to them annually. The Sindh govt is not providing loans, better facilities and subsidy to the growers on fertilizers and agricultural tools. The farmer class is much worried about its agricultural products which are not fulfilling their financial targets and needs. The poverty rate is increasing rather than decreasing. This is why the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Through your esteemed newspaper I would like to draw the heed of Bilawal Bhutto Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party and Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah to take immediate notice of this injustice done to farmers and small growers and redress their grievances. The rate of paddy must be raised as much as farmers and local growers can meet their basic needs of life. Chairman Bilawal Sahab today farmers are looking forward to you and it has been your party vision, wish and stance that if our farmers become rich and prosper surely the country will flourish by leaps and bounds.
