Provinces told to lift wheat shares from Karachi port
By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE, Nov 5: Federal Agriculture, Food and Livestock (Minfal) Minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan on Friday asked provincial governments to lift their share of wheat from the Karachi port
so that the price of flour could be stabilized in market.
He was speaking at a seminar of wheat arranged by the Punjab Seed Corporation. "The government has started the process of importing one million ton wheat to ease pressure on the domestic market," he said.
The government is trying its best to provide relief to the farming community by reducing the cost of agriculture input, he said and added: "The diesel price has been kept constant since May despite huge increase in international prices. The federal government is picking up an additional burden of Rs4 billion per month on this account."
The government wanted to resolve the issue of tractor availability in the country and allowed setting up of another manufacturing plant, he said. Regarding the role of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) in procurement of cotton, Mr Bosan said the government took timely decision of stabilizing cotton market otherwise prices could have crashed, hurting farmers beyond their capacity.
Had the TCP not included in procurement process, the price of cotton could have come down as low as Rs500 per bale. The aggressive buying by the TCP had brought the price of cotton almost equal to the official price.
About the grow-more-wheat campaign, he urged farmers to sow wheat in time to maximize production. Eighty per cent sowing should be completed in the month of November contrary to traditional 40 per cent, he stressed. Mr Bosan was of the view that appropriate use of inputs and sowing of certified wheat were crucial factors effecting the final yield.
The government has taken necessary steps for reducing the price of herbicides by 30 to 40 per cent. The farmers must avail this opportunity which will substantially help increasing their per acre yield, he said.
About water shortage, the minister said that the government had formulated a comprehensive strategy to cope with the crisis. He promised to take the issue of subsidy on electricity tariff on agriculture tubewell if drought conditions prevailed till December.
The minister lauded the contribution of the PSC in provision of certified quality and cheap seeds to the farmers. Farmers Associates Pakistan chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said without ample availability of water, self-sufficiency in wheat would remain a dream. He underlined the need to ensure availability of inputs, including fertilizers and certified seed.
He said that middlemen had procured fertilizer in large quantity and they would create an artificial crisis in the coming months. The government must move now to preempt the possibility. He also hailed the role of TCP in stabilizing cotton market.
Mr Qureshi demanded that federal government should withdraw the GST on fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Punjab Agriculture Minister Arshad Lodhi said the provincial government had evolved a comprehensive strategy for producing good wheat crop this season. He held out an assurance to the audience that the shortage of urea would disappear in the month of December following huge imports planned by the government.
He credited the farming community with producing bumper cotton crop. Punjab Irrigation Minister Aamir Sultan Cheema informed the participants about the water management plan. He urged the federal government to provide subsidy to the farmers on electricity tariff.
Kissan Board Pakistan Secretary General Ibrahim Mughal was of the view that 21 million ton wheat was required to meet domestic requirements. He urged the government to help farmers increase per acre yield by providing inputs at affordable rates. He criticized the role of middlemen, accusing them of minting money by creating the artificial shortage of fertilizers.
Punjab Water Council Secretary Rabia Sultan demanded construction of big dams, including Kalabagh, for meeting growing demand of water. PSC chief Amanullah Niazi informed that his department was playing an important role by providing low price quality seed to the farmers. Among others, Chaudhry Azam Cheema, Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, Nazakat Bhatti and Qadir Bakhsh Baloch also spoke.
