KARACHI: Wheat growers are facing another blow, as the food department with police is taking away wheat stored in personal warehouses for sharecroppers and farmers for domestic use, including for next year’s seed.
Sindh Abadgar Board Senior Vice President Mehmood Nawaz Shah said that government officials were forcefully seizing wheat that growers had stored for seed and personal use, as well as for famers’ share.
He said that the farmers have stocked wheat as per their capacity, ranging from 500 maunds to 12,000 bags, which were taken away in many areas by the food department officials with support of police personnel in the name of illegal stocking.
Meanwhile, growers remain dissatisfied with the government’s wheat procurement drive.
He added that government had failed to procure targeted wheat from growers by delaying the drive and discouraging growers. They had started late buying amid lockdown, which affected their purchase.
“When wheat season ended at the end of growers, the provincial food department had hardly procured 45 percent of its target of 1.4 million tons.” Shah said the food officials also illegally seized wheat warehouse of Engro Fertilizers, which operated legally.
Sindh Growers Alliance also accused the government of ill treatment to hide their failure to procure wheat this year.
