Rising petroleum prices would affect Pakistan's agriculture sector as farmers depend on fuel to operate their tube-wells to get irrigation water the prime requirement for the growth of crops. 'Due to inadequate canal system, farmers are dependent on electric and diesel run tube-wells for irrigation but price escalation of oil would have negative impact on their production,' the Secretary General, Kisan Bachao Tehreek, Ahmed Noor Advocate told APP. He was of the view that the POL price hike and load shedding would also affect the rice crops, which is one of the major crops of the country. He also said abundant water is a pre-requisite for sowing and growth of rice crop, but grower are facing difficulties in properly irrigating their paddies through tube-well due to rising prices and shortage of diesel and continuing load shedding. Further, Noor claimed that millions of acres of agriculture land are turning barren due to water shortage. He maintained that filling stations are responsible for shortage as they are blacking diesel to earn undue profit. He alleged that some stations sell diesel in limited quantity while most of the filling stations suspend the supply in anticipation of price hike at the end of every month.