Farmers' body sceptical of PM's Rs1.8tr Kissan Package.

HYDERABAD -- Sindh Abadgdar Board (SAB) which met here on Sunday expressed its scepticism over Rs1.8tr Kissan Package announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the wake of flood devastation last year observing that that four months had passed but no potent intervention had been seen as yet.

The meeting was chaired by SAB vice president Mahmood Nawaz Shah. It was attended by Dr Zulfikar Yousfani, Azam Rind, Dr Bashir Nizamani, Azam Rind, Malook Nizamani, Tuaha Abbasi and others.

It meeting noted that growers remained skeptic about PM's Kissan Package. It said that water was still standing on farmlands and villages in many districts and farmers were not able to cultivate even winter crops. In this situation, the Rs1.8tr package looked like a cosmetic announcement, it added.

SAB urged government to spell out details of the package with timeline.

The meeting observed that the cost of agricultural inputs was rising incessantly due to rupee devaluation. It pointed out that prices of the urea produced with local raw material shot up twice within the last 12 months from Rs1,765 to Rs2,450. It's pity that urea, which is largely used fertiliser, is not even available at this rate and being black-marketed by dealers/middlemen at Rs2,900 to Rs3,000. Agricultural inputs had gone beyond farmers' reach but no action is taken against hoarders and profiteers.

Seeks timeline of delivery, dewatering of farmlands

The meeting warned that this funneling out of billions of rupees from agricultural economy would have a negative impact on food security amid the persisting crisis and would aggravate poverty. It is likely to affect urban economy and industry to which agriculture provides raw material and also...