June 17, 2007	Sunday	Jumadi-us-Sani 01, 1428

HYDERABAD, June 16: A seminar on Saturday recommended disbanding the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP) and suggested formation of Sindh Agriculture Research Council.

The seminar on "Agro-based community and their problems" jointly organised by the Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) and Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) at a local hotel also recommended setting up an agriculture bank and a micro water management board in each province.

Sindh Ombudsman Yusuf Jamal who read out the seminar’s recommendations called ADBP a white elephant which had no updates on the growers' issues.

He said that his office had been organising a series of such programmes on issues like karo-kari, bonded labour, forced labour, child lifting, child labour, education and literacy.

He said that such interactive gatherings and seminars proved to be an impetus and only a continued process would finally lead to the solution of problems. "Right noises in right quarters and at right time were bound to make some change," he said.

He supported improvement in agriculture research and suggested formation of the Sindh Agriculture Research Council (SARC), having representation from different crop growing areas.

The matter must be taken up in parliament because the existent Pakistan Agriculture Research Council was not well-versed with the issues of growers of Tando Mohammad Khan or Matli. Likewise, the ADBP should be disbanded and each province should have its own ADB, he said.

He criticised the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and said why the growers could not deal with traders directly for their crops. Water management could be addressed through formation of micro water management board, he stressed.

SAB President Abdul Majeed Nizamani criticised indirect taxes paid by agriculturists and put the volume of indirect taxes at 64 to 74 per cent. Total tax collection between 2005 and 2007 was estimated to be Rs720 billion, which was only 38 per cent of total tax collection, he said.

Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah said that growers were reluctant to file complaints with the ombudsman against tapedar, abadgar or mukhtiarkar and raised the issue of 30 per cent share of growers in vegetable markets being established by government.

Secretary Agriculture Muhakmuddin Qadri agreed with growers' contention regarding ambiguities in auction in vegetable markets and said that director general extension was asked to take action in this regard but it was not done so. An exhibition on dates would be held in Khairpur in July to raise the fruit’s export, he added.