KARACHI, Oct 31 (APP): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a high-level meeting on the 2025 Wheat Growers’ Support Programme here Friday, directed the Agriculture Department to start disbursing funds immediately to small growers, enabling them to purchase Urea and DAP fertilisers for timely wheat sowing across the province.
In Sindh, the wheat sowing season begins in late October and continues until late December, depending on regional and irrigation conditions. In upper Sindh, including Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur, and Ghotki, sowing generally starts in late October and continues through November, while in lower Sindh, such as Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin, and Thatta, sowing begins around mid-November and lasts until late December.
The process largely depends on the availability of canal water following the Kharif harvest and canal maintenance schedules. The wheat harvest in Sindh usually falls between late March and early May.
The Chief Minister emphasised that the programme must reach genuine and small-scale farmers without delay, ensuring maximum coverage before the sowing season ends.
The programme aims to achieve self-sufficiency in staple food (wheat), so the country doesn’t need to import wheat and can save foreign exchange by supporting local growers.
The meeting at CM House was attended by Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary Agriculture Zman Narejo, and others.
It may be recalled that the Sindh government had given in-principle approval on September 23, 2025, for providing DAP and Urea “in kind” to farmers. Later, on October 24, 2025, the Sindh Cabinet approved a revised mechanism introducing direct cash transfers to ensure transparency and efficiency.
Under this mechanism, Rs 14,000 per acre per farmer will be provided for the purchase of DAP fertiliser. After verification, Rs 8,000 per acre per farmer will be disbursed for two Urea bags. The total cost of the project is approximately Rs 55 billion, targeting 412,000 farmers across 2.26 million acres of wheat cultivation.
To ensure transparency and accountability, the Agriculture Department has developed a comprehensive digital monitoring and verification system, including Android-based field apps (working both online and offline) for data entry by field assistants. A verification app for Mukhtiarkars offers real-time data for land record verification, with central dashboards at the head office and district levels for live monitoring. An automated SMS service will notify farmers once funds are transferred.
Each Field Assistant and Mukhtiarkar has been assigned an ID, and all verification data is tagged with GPS coordinates to ensure accuracy and prevent duplication. Farmers’ documents, including CNIC, photographs, Form VII-B, and affidavits (in cases of Fotikhata), are uploaded directly through the app for verification.
Mr Shah appreciated the digital reforms implemented by the Agriculture Department, but instructed officials to ensure inclusivity so no eligible farmer is excluded due to documentary issues.
Murad Shah approved an extension of one week, until November 8, 2025, to facilitate wider coverage of wheat growers across Sindh.
“This support is vital to help our small farmers prepare for the upcoming wheat season,” the Chief Minister said. “We must ensure transparency, timely disbursement, and equitable access for all deserving farmers in Sindh.”