MANSEHRA: The ban imposed by home and tribal affairs department on sale and purchase of urea fertilisers has led to significant decrease in agricultural yields across Hazara division.
A group of farmers from different parts of Mansehra district met journalists here and demanded of authorities to liftban on sale and purchase ofurea as it adversely affected growers and significantly reduced their crop yields.
‘Mansehra and the rest of Hazara division are peaceful areas. The ban onsale and purchase of fertilisers is unjust as our agricultural fields are losing their yields and becoming barren, Bukhtar Tanoli, a farmer from Pulrah area of Tanawal, told journalists on Thursday.
He said that farmers were going to cultivate wheat and different kinds of pulses, but they were still without urea fertiliser.
Mohammad Fayyaz, another farmer, said that maize crops had also been affected as growers were relying on inorganic farming and urea was its key component.
‘The government should reconsider its strategy ofbanningthe sale and purchase ofurea,ifnot across the province, at least in Hazara division, which is completely peaceful,’ he said.
Mr Fayyaz said that relevant departments had also imposed fines on people found purchasing fertiliser. ‘More than700 farmers in Chakia area are without urea, which has adversely affected their yields. We cannot plough our fields for wheat and other crops,’ one of the farmers said.
Farmers appealed to the governor and the deputy commissioner of Mansehra to take remedial measures and ensure the supply of urea to them.
VETERINARY SERVICE: The administrations in upper parts of Hazara division have launched mobile veterinary services to provide timely and emergency treatment for herds and cattle in their areas.
‘We have launched this facility to provide farmers with veterinary healthcare and emergency services for their herds and cattle to ensure sustainable livelihood opportunities,’ Mansehra Deputy Commissioner Yasir Ali Khan told a ceremony held on Thursday. The event was held to inaugurate the mobileveterinary healthcare service.
The deputy commissioner said that veterinary treatment and emergency animal healthcare services would be provided at farmers’ doorsteps. ‘The government wants to bring positive changes in the economic conditions of farmers. This is why the mobile healthcare facility has been launched to ensure sustainability of their livelihoods,’ he said.
Meanwhile, the Upper Kohistan district administration also launched a mobile veterinary dispensary under its Integrated Livestock Development Programme to provide treatment and emergency healthcare services to animals.
The deputy commissioner, Azizullah Jan, inaugurated the mobile veterinary dispensary at an event attended by farmers and officials of different departments.