Fertilizer Shortage Sparks Concerns for Food Security in Sindh

Growers in Sindh are facing a severe fertilizer shortage, significantly impacting wheat sowing and vegetable cultivation and raising concerns about potential threats to food security. Dismayed farmers are warning that if the scarcity is not promptly addressed, it could escalate into a looming crisis. The issue gained traction when government intervention led to a surge in prices and rampant black marketing of urea and Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizers, reported Express Tribune. Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) President, Syed Mehmood Nawaz Shah, stressed that the government’s primary responsibility is to control fertiliser black marketing, combat hoarding, and guarantee availability. He expressed alarm that an overcharge of just Rs. 1,000 per 50-kg bag of fertilizer could result in swindling peasants of over Rs. 130 billion annually. Shah identified four fertilizer companies including Fauji Fertiliser Company Limited (FFCL), Engro Fertilisers Limited (EFL), Fatima Fertiliser Company Limited (FFCL), and Pakarab Fertilisers Limited (PAFL), citing inflated prices and urging immediate action. The shortage and price hikes are particularly detrimental to wheat crops, impacting crop yields with only one month left in the sowing season. Despite complaints and protests, the Sindh government and relevant departments have been ineffective in controlling prices. Growers, dissatisfied with the inaction, are turning to the Sindh High Court for relief. Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) Senior Vice President, Nabi Bux Sathio, criticized the lack of penalties for overcharging and expressed disappointment with the inaction of concerned departments. President of the Small Growers Organisation, Advocate Ali Palh, criticized government officials for their inactivity, predicting severe food insecurity if immediate action is not taken. Secretary of Agriculture in Sindh, Syed Aijaz Ali Shah, wrote a letter to the Ministry of Industries and Production, urging an increase in the province’s quota to at least 40 percent of total production. He emphasized the injustice of Sindh, where gas is supplied and urea is produced, suffering from a severe shortage. Advisory committees at the provincial and district levels have been formed to address the crisis of price hikes due to black marketing.