Chashma Sugar Mills has complained to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi about the non-availability of fertiliser amid restricted supplies. The fertiliser curbs in KP sowing season, the company says, come from an industry-wide restriction on despatching supplies to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
In a letter, the mill’s Senior Director, Iskander Khan, said the company had received field reports that the fertiliser industry had imposed curbs under a statutory regulatory order (SRO) issued by the Ministry of Interior. The order restricts fertiliser companies from despatching supplies to the two provinces. Dawn reported the complaint and the reasons behind the restriction.
The timing is the core of the complaint. Autumn and Rabi sowing is under way, and fertiliser is an essential input for the healthy growth and productivity of major crops. A delay now does not simply shift the calendar by a few days. It can cut yields for a whole season, because sowing windows for wheat and other Rabi crops are narrow.
The restrictions have been imposed because certain categories of fertiliser can be used in making explosives. Authorities fear that terrorists could obtain such material from vendors. That security concern is the reason the Interior Ministry order exists, and it explains why the curbs fall on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the two provinces where security risks are judged highest.
The complaint does not dispute the security concern directly. It argues about the effect: farmers cannot sow properly if fertiliser does not reach them in time. Khan warned that any delay or disruption in availability during this crucial season would adversely affect crop yields, increase the financial burden on farmers and aggravate food insecurity in the province.
He added that the situation would also hit the supply of sugarcane to sugar mills. Chashma Sugar Mills has a direct stake in that supply, since cane from the region feeds its crushing. A weak cane crop therefore hits both growers and the mill, and it hits them in the same season.
The complaint lands in a wheat season already full of targets and support measures. Feature Pakistan has reported on Sindh growers warning of a severe winter water shortage for wheat sowing. In Sindh, the worry is water at Sukkur Barrage. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the worry is fertiliser on the shelf. Food supply chains are under strain elsewhere too, as shown by flour millers threatening a strike over an alleged assault in Taxila. The governor who received this complaint, Faisal Karim Kundi, has himself been in the news over claims that the centre is failing KP on support, which frames how his office may handle the letter.
Wheat support policy adds another layer. The government has announced a wheat support price of Rs4,500 per maund. A support price helps only if farmers can sow and grow the crop in the first place, and seasonal pressures are already visible in Punjab, where smog levels have crossed hazardous marks.
For Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa growers, the practical question is how the security restriction is applied on the ground. A blanket curb that stops all despatch differs from a controlled system that tracks fertiliser from depot to farm. The letter, as reported, describes curbs imposed by the industry under the SRO, with field reports of non-availability. It does not set out a detailed alternative system, but its complaint points in that direction: a method that keeps fertiliser out of the wrong hands without keeping it out of farmers’ hands.
Any fix must satisfy two tests at once. First, it must keep restricted fertiliser categories away from illicit use, with records that show where each consignment went. Second, it must move fertiliser fast enough for sowing, with depots stocked before the window closes.
Provincial and federal authorities have tools for both tests. Dealer licensing, buyer records, transport permits and district-level quotas can track supply without stopping it. The governor, as the recipient of the complaint, can raise the matter with the Interior Ministry and with the fertiliser industry. What farmers need from that process is a clear answer, in days rather than weeks, on which supplies will move and when.
The food security warning in the letter should not be read as a forecast of shortage on its own. It is a warning about a chain: restricted supply, late sowing, lower yields, higher costs for farmers, and less cane for mills. Breaking the chain at the first link, supply, is cheaper and simpler than dealing with the later links after the season ends.
Frequently asked questions
Who complained about fertiliser curbs in KP?
Chashma Sugar Mills complained to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi. Its Senior Director, Iskander Khan, wrote that field reports showed fertiliser supplies to the province were restricted.
What order restricts the supplies?
The company says the fertiliser industry imposed curbs under a statutory regulatory order issued by the Ministry of Interior. The order restricts companies from despatching supplies to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Why were the curbs imposed?
Certain categories of fertiliser can be used in making explosives, and authorities fear terrorists could obtain such material from vendors. The restriction is a security measure, applied to the two provinces.
Why does timing matter so much?
Autumn and Rabi sowing is under way, and fertiliser is essential for crop growth and productivity. A delay during sowing can cut yields for the whole season and raise costs for farmers.
What else does the complaint warn about?
Khan warned that delayed fertiliser would hurt crop yields, increase the financial burden on farmers, aggravate food insecurity in the province, and hit sugarcane supply to sugar mills.
