Fertiliser curbs hit sowing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Chashma Sugar Mills has asked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to address fertiliser shortages in the province, Dawn reported on November 3. The mill says restrictions introduced under a Ministry of Interior SRO are preventing fertiliser companies from sending supplies to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Its Senior Director, Iskander Khan, said the company had received field reports of the curbs.

The restrictions coincide with autumn and Rabi sowing, when fertiliser is needed for crop growth and productivity, according to Khan. He warned that delays could reduce yields, raise farmers’ costs and worsen food insecurity, while also disrupting sugarcane supplies to mills. Authorities imposed the restrictions because some fertiliser categories can be used to make explosives and fear the material could reach terrorists through vendors.