April 08, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 1, 1429

HYDERABAD, April 7: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has expressed concern over increase in fertiliser prices and demanded that the subsidy given by the previous governments on the agricultural input should be restored.

At a meeting of the chamber held here on Sunday, problems confronting the agriculture sector and the growers were discussed.

Speaking on the occasion, Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah, president of the chamber, demanded that the cost of production of crops should be reduced forthwith by providing subsidy on fertilisers, pesticides, electricity and diesel on an emergency basis.

He demanded of the State Bank of Pakistan to direct all the commercial banks to provide agricultural loans to the farming community at eight per cent mark-up.

Expressing grave concern over the inordinate increase in the prices of fertilisers, the meeting demanded that the subsidy on fertilisers announced by the previous governments should be restored and the availability of phosphate fertilisers such as DAP, Zorawar, Nitrophos should be ensured.

It reminded the government that the sowing of cotton crop in Sindh had already began and it was, therefore, extremely necessary to make the phosphate fertiliser available to the growers without delay.

It further demanded that subsidy should also be provided on gypsum fertilisers on the pattern of agricultural machinery to encourage the extensive use of gypsum. It argued that with the use of gypsum, the fertile lands of Sindh could be protected against salinity.

The meeting also drafted a letter for submission to the prime minister. The letter would inform the prime minister about the problems confronting the agriculture sector of the province.