The Balochistan Agriculture Department has conditionally lifted restrictions on the supply and sale of fertiliser in 17 districts, but dealers can resume business only through a digital system that records every transaction. Under the new arrangement, the login of the Precursors Tracking and Traceability System (PTTS) has been made mandatory for every fertiliser sale, and manual dealings, sales outside the system, and undocumented purchases have been completely prohibited. The districts covered by the decision are Hub, Jaffarabad, Sohbatpur, Usta Muhammad, Jhal Magsi, Dera Bugti, Barkhan, Sibi, Kachhi, Khuzdar, Kharan, Loralai, Qila Saifullah, Quetta, Pishin, Kalat, Panjgur, Lasbela, and Naseerabad.
The decision was announced in an official notification issued by the Director General of Extension at the Agriculture Department on Monday evening. The restrictions on urea were imposed in August over security concerns related to its misuse, and they caused serious difficulties for farmers and led to protests in some areas of the province. Under the new directives, fertiliser dealers must strictly follow the prescribed standard operating procedures and maintain complete records of their sales to farmers. The notification states that any sale or purchase of urea without the prescribed protocols is strictly prohibited and that no parallel system outside the new protocol will be accepted.
Enforcement has been tied closely to the digital record. Dealerships that violate the conditions will face suspension or cancellation of their licences. Agriculture department officials, district deputy commissioners, and law enforcement agencies will also monitor fertilizer stocks and their movement, so that the supply chain can be followed from the warehouse to the point of sale. District administrations have already started applying the system in some areas, and in Barkhan, for example, officials directed dealers in October to keep valid licences and updated stock registers and to record inventory and sales data on the PTTS portal.
The stated aim of the move is to facilitate farmers while making sure that fertiliser sales stay transparent and properly documented. For farmers, the lifting of the restrictions means that urea and other fertilisers can be bought again from authorised dealers in the listed districts at a time when the sowing season requires supplies. For dealers, the system means that every bag sold needs an entry in the portal, which gives authorities a digital trail that can be checked. How well the arrangement works will depend on the ability of dealers to adapt to the login requirement and on the pace at which officials monitor the records in the districts concerned.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
