The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) Larkana chapter has warned that a Sindh water shortage this winter is likely because repair work on the Sukkur Barrage is still under way. The growers' body said the shortfall could badly disrupt wheat sowing, raising fresh concern for farmers who depend on canal supplies for the rabi season.
Speaking at a chamber meeting in Larkana on Sunday, SCA Larkana division president Syed Siraj Aulia Rashdi reviewed the irrigation outlook and voiced apprehension that the province would face a severe cut in canal water while the barrage work continues. The chamber pressed the Sindh government to treat the growers' concerns as urgent.
Why growers fear a winter shortfall
Sukkur Barrage is a major structure on the Indus that diverts river water into canals serving large parts of Sindh. SCA argued that prolonged repairs reduce the water available for fields just when wheat needs to be sown. Without reliable canal flows, farmers who cannot fall back on tube wells face delayed planting or smaller acreage.
The meeting framed the risk as part of a wider Sindh water crisis for agriculture: irrigation limits coincide with rising costs of seed, fertiliser, diesel, electricity and other farm inputs. Participants said those pressures are already squeezing wheat, sugar cane, cotton and rice growers.
Crop demands beyond canal water
On wheat, the chamber called for a support price that reflects higher production costs and for transparent, timely payments when the government buys grain, so farmers receive fair returns. For sugar cane, it demanded that mills open crushing on schedule, apply the notified cane price at once, and clear growers' dues promptly.
Rice growers, the meeting said, need official steps to keep paddy market prices reasonable and stable so producers do not sell at a loss. Participants also asked for subsidies on fertilisers—especially DAP and urea—tube-well electricity and pesticides, delivered directly to genuine small growers rather than lost in the middle.
They further urged that the Benazir Hari Card process be simpler, more transparent and wider in reach so more farmers can use the scheme.
Mustard as an option where freshwater is scarce
Where tube wells cannot supply freshwater, participants suggested encouraging alternative crops such as mustard. The chamber asked the Sindh government to supply certified, high-quality mustard seed with special support and incentives. It argued that stronger mustard cultivation could raise farm incomes and help the country move toward self-sufficiency in edible oil.
Stressing that Pakistan's economy rests heavily on farming, the SCA said farmer-friendly policies are needed to ease the sector's strain, protect food security and shore up the rural economy. It called on the government to act quickly on the Sindh water shortage warning and the wider list of grower demands.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Sindh ke kisanon ke organisation ne khauf zahir kiya hai ke is sardi mein pani bohot kam mil sakta hai. Wajah Sukkur Barrage ki jari marammat batayi gayi hai. Is se gehun ki buwai mushkil ho sakti hai. Hakumat se fori madad, behtar rates aur jahan pani kam ho wahan sarson jaise faslon ki himayat maangi gayi hai.
