|
|
| October 25, 2001 | Thursday | Shaba'an 7, 1422 |
Growers quit cotton assessment body: Crop size estimate ‘inflated’
MULTAN, Oct 24: Four of the five members representing growers on the Standing Committee on Cotton Crop Assessment (SCCCA) have resigned in protest.
The committee is an apex forum responsible for forecasting cotton crop size in the country after holding regular meetings during the cotton season in consultation with various stockholders of the cotton market.
The SCCCA works under Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal).
Adviser to the chief executive on food, agriculture and livestock Chaudhry Shafi Niaz chairs the SCCA. Apart from a number of federal and provincial (Punjab and Sindh) agriculture department officials, representatives of growers, ginners, textile millers and exporters are also its members.
For the year 2001-2002, the Minfal notified last month five growers — Aftab Ahmed Khitchi, Khwaja Muhammad Shoaib, Ajmal Husain Shah Mussavi, Nadim Shah and Mujib Ahmed — to represent their community.
A SCCCA meeting was held at the PCCC headquarters in Karachi on Oct 23 (Tuesday) with Chaudhry Shafi Niaz in the chair. The meeting reviewed the health and size of the current cotton crop and expressed concern over the pest infestation in the cotton belt besides showing apprehensions that the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) operation benefits were not being passed on to the growers fully.
The crop size was assessed as 10.8 million bales, 0.1 million bales less than the committee’s previous assessment of 10.9 million bales.
Sources disclosed that growers’ representatives had reservations about the crop estimate of 10.8 million bales with an average bale weight of 170 kg. They were of the view that the crop would be some where around 10.4 million bales. They also urged the SCCCA chairman to clear the ambiguity regarding average bale weight as the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) had been pressing bales with an average weight of 161 kg. The growers also objected to the “myth” of 0.5 million bales consumption in non-mill sector.
But reportedly their point of view was not given due consideration in the SCCCA meeting.
Four growers except Mujeeb Ahmad, who was absent, held a meeting later on and decided to quit the committee.
In their joint resignation to the federal minister for food, agriculture and livestock, Khair Muhammad Junejo, the estranged growers wrote: “As our point of view has not been considered by the meeting, we feel that the growers’ interest is being overlooked.”
Growers, it may be added, have always been skeptical of the SCCCA role as its ‘inflated’ estimates keep buying slow in the wake of a ‘bumper crop’ which ultimately depresse the phutti (seed cotton) prices when the crop is in the growers’ hand.
GAS PROJECT: Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Usman Ameenuddin expressed satisfaction over the pace of laying gas pipeline from Sui in Balochistan to thermal power stations of south Punjab.
He visited a pipe-laying site near Sardargarh in Rahim Yar Khan district on Wednesday. He also visited a compression plant of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited situated at famous Bhong village. Later, he reached Guddu barrage to view the river crossing work on the gas pipelines project.
The minister was informed that the project would benefit thermal power stations of this part of the country besides benefiting a large number of domestic consumers.
He was further told that 525 (MMCFD) gas supply would replace the 1.17 million tons imported furnace oil worth $6535 million consumed annually.
The Rs 15,273 million project will be completed in two phases. The first phase is likely to be completed in December next and the second by the end of 2003.
The minister also visited a coating plant in Ucch Sharif.
|
|
