RECORDER REPORT

FAISALABAD: Artificial shortage and black marketing of DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate) ahead of wheat sowing season has perturbed the entire farming community which may cause delay in wheat sowing resulting in shortage of overall wheat production in the country, said Syed Zia Alamdar Hussain former Senior Vice President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry, former Vice Chairman PHMA and former member BOD of FESCO.

In a statement issued here on Friday, he said Pakistan is the 3rd largest wheat producing country in the world. Every year, Pakistan harvests 25.5 million tons of wheat from 16.40 million acres of land. The wheat production is slightly more than our domestic consumption which is exported or used to maintain the strategic shortage capacity.

Continuing, he said that DAP at this crucial stage is imperative to get the maximum per acre yield of wheat. He further told that Fauji Fertilizer, Engro Urea and Fatima Fertilizer are sole manufacturers and suppliers of DAP in Pakistan. He said that the sowing season has started and government has fixed the price of Urea at Rs.2400 per bag.

He lamented that the urea companies have created artificial shortage of this commodity and it is being sold at Rs. 2800 to 3000 per bag in open market. He said that this shortage and black marketing of urea will affect wheat production in two different ways. In first step delay in wheat sowing will trim our per acre yield and secondly the production cost of farmers will increase manifold due to black marketing of DAP.

“Many of the poor farmers would not be able to use urea thus their per acre yield will decline, which will be detrimental to the national food security,” he said and added that it will also compel the farmers to quit their century old profession of tillage and migrate to already over burdened cities.

He further told that rural migration to urban centres has already added unbearable burden on the urban infrastructure which will also have negative repercussions on the law and order situation.

He said that the price of DAP in Pakistan is already on the higher side as compared to the other regional countries, which is constantly denting the farmers income by increasing their cost of production.

He urged upon the government to ensure adequate supply of DAP in domestic market at fixed price so that the farmers could easily complete wheat sowing process without any fear of decreasing it’s per acre yield.

He also warned that delay in wheat cultivation will automatically decrease its production posing new threats to national food security.

Hence government must react immediately and ensure supply of DAP to fulfill the needs of the farming community.