Rise in fertilizer rates to cause Rabi yield decline

LAHORE - The sudden raise in the prices of fertilizers after acute shortage of water in the country could lead to decline production of Rabi crops particularly wheat up to 20 to 30 per cent of the total production.
Experts said that the quantity of fertilizers is usually increased in case of water shortage.
Experts in Punjab Agriculture Department, said that in such circumstances the loss might amount to over Rs 100 million.
Thye said that the total cultivated area of wheat in Punjab is more than 20 million acres of land besides 2.3 million acres land of arid areas.
The sources further said the prices of such fertilizers increased up to 20 to 25 per cent which would lead to increase in the cost of wheat crop and resultantly only well-off growers could afford the use of such fertilizers.
They said that the provincial government had set a target of more than 19 million tons of wheat for the upcoming season, which now seemed unachievable due to unavailability of sufficient water.
They also added the huge quantity of water has gone wasted due to lack of planning. They said more than eight million acre feet (MAF) of water from rivers fell in the sea and neither could be used for the agriculture purposes nor could be stored in the reservoirs.
If such huge quantity of eight million acre feet water of river is stored, it could also help to end prevailing energy crisis, they said adding that besides the wheat crop, the crops of gram and sunflower are likely to be affected due to raise in prices of fertilizers and shortage of water as well.
In this regard, President Pakistan Mutehda Kissan Muhaz, Ayub Mayo said that government is not taking keen interest in constructing water reservoirs and dams in the country, despite having enough resources, which would worsen the situation causing damage to the agriculture sector which is near to extinction due to lack of policies on part of the Federal as well as the provincial government.
He also condemned the raise in the prices of fertilizers particularly the raise in the prices of DAP which increased up to Rs 290.
He alleged the dealers and producers of fertilizer took the benefit of prevailing situation and earned millions of rupees overnight by creating artificial shortage of fertilizers which is a failure of the government.