KARACHI: Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Wednesday, said that artificial shortage of fertilizer was created in Sindh despite of higher than demand supply.

The opposition leader, in a statement issued here, accused Sindh government of conniving with hoarding mafia and demanded immediate action by Federal Investigation Agency to save the agriculture sector and farmers from heavy losses.

Haleem Adil said that urea supply in Sindh was 52% higher than demand in current year and there should not be any shortage of the fertilizer in the province. “It is obvious that mafia is hoarding the commodity in demand for profit making and black marketing of urea continues with the connivance of Sindh government,” he asserted.

The artificial shortage of fertilizer would negatively impact the production of staple food grain wheat and other winter crops including oilseeds and sugar cane and it certainly would result in price hike of essential food items, he maintained.

Sindh government did not take any action against the hoarding and black marketing of urea fertilizer in the province because the provincial government wanted to damage wheat, mustard, sugarcane and other crops by creating artificial shortage of fertilizers, Haleem Adil said adding that PPP Sindh government was responsible for every crisis in Sindh.

He said that the alarming situation of non-availability of important agricultural input demanded swift action by FIA to recover hoarded fertilizer from private warehouses for ensuring its availability to growers and farmers of the province. He also demanded that federal government should ensure distribution of fertilizer in Sindh through FIA as well.