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THATTA, Jan 1: The government has released Rs100 million for carrying out research on various varieties of seeds aimed at introducing the best varieties for future bumper crops.
This was stated by Food and Agriculture Minister Khair M. Junejo while addressing the opening of a sugarcane research institute here.
He said, “It has become most vital now to create a congenial atmosphere between the mill owners and growers.”
He said that President Pervez Musharraf had issued special directives to promote the agricultural sector which was the backbone of the country’s economy.
He appreciated Dr Haji Khan Keerio for developing a new variety of sugarcane, Thatta-10, and pledged to get it registered soon.
He said that the government had imported six lac tons of sugar last year due to the shortage.
Mr Junejo informed the gathering that 180 signatories from various countries had decided that from 2004 onwards the world would be open to market all varieties of seed, and added that keeping in view with the decision, we should prepare ourselves to compete in the global market.
He said the country had been suffering from an ill-planned irrigation system since the last 36 years and it would take time to streamline it.
Earlier, speaking on the occasion, the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) president, Ashraf W. Tabani (Punjab) said that though the PSMA had enhanced the rate of sugarcane by Rs5 per 40kg, the sugar industry was passing through the most crucial times this year.
The sugar being exported from Pakistan was being sold at Rs14 per kg but the government was not entertaining any subsidy for it, he said.
Mr Tabani said that the sugar mills in Sindh had produced 180,000 tons of sugar till Dec 15 out of which only 27,000 tons had been sold and the government was silent over the issue.
The chairman, Sindh Abadgar Board, Abdul Aziz Nizamani told the audience that Sindh and its tail-end districts had been facing catastrophe since the last three years.
He said that Captain Wali (retd) and Mistri Qadir Bux of Phalkara, Sindh, were the pioneers of new varieties of sugarcane and onion development but they were not honoured.
The president, Pakistan Technology, Shafaat Zaidi announced a gold medal for Dr Haji Khan Keerio on the occasion.
KIDNAPPED: A landlord and his three peasants were kidnapped by seven outlaws from the agriculture lands along Khadi forest on Tuesday. Later the kidnappers left the peasants near Tando Jam and took away the landlord.
Landlord Sain Bukhsh Ghugho and his three peasants, Suleman Lashari, Saleem and Ibrahim Mirbahar, were busy in their field when masked outlaws equipped with sophisticated arms stormed the venue and escorted them to a truck they had parked at some distance.
On reaching near Tando Jam, they left the peasants blindfolded at an isolated site and went away in the truck with the landlord.
Heavy police party has been dispatched from Thatta to recover the kidnapped man and arrest the outlaws.
Local people opine that the kidnapping may be in retaliation against the police operation in the area.
It may be mentioned that Khadi and Jurar forests have gained notoriously due to the activities of notorious dacoit Ali Khoso’s gang.
