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HYDERABAD, Nov 6: The Sindh government on Wednesday issued a notification fixing ginning charges for cotton crop at Rs220 per three maunds of Phutti.
The notification said that the contravention of the above order was punishable under section-2(2) of Cotton Control (Sindh Amendment) Act 1975 with a maximum imprisonment of two years, Rs25,000 fine or both.
SUNFLOWER SEED: The Sindh Abadgar Board has thanked Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz for announcing to waive off central excise duty and general sales tax on sunflower seed.
However, it expressed concern that no covering notification has so far been issued in this regard.
In a communication addressed to the minister, SAB president Abdul Majeed Nizamani said in absence of the notification, the edible seed was lying at the Karachi seaport and sunflower growers were not able to cultivate their lands on time.
He hoped that the federal government would soon issue the notification to enable farmers to cultivate sunflower.
Mr Nizamani further said the government should also consider other demands of the farmers about subsidy on local seeds.
MARKETS: Sindh Agriculture Research and Extension director general Malik Mohammad Akram has advised the field staff of the agriculture marketing wing to improve the functioning of vegetable and grain markets.
Speaking at a meeting held here on Wednesday, he said the market fees collection target of Rs100 million for the current year should be achieved so that the amount could be spent on development of agricultural markets to provide growers with more facilities.
The meeting reviewed the performance of 68 market committees of Sindh.
Mr Akram ordered the suspension of officials whose performance was poor and warned that no slackness would be tolerated in connection with services to farmers in the shape of improved market facilities.
He maintained that besides improving the existing farm produce markets, an agro-processing zone was being set up in Karachi which he said would help boost the sale of fruits, vegetables and flowers and earn higher profits for growers.
Seven feeding agro-processing centres would also be established in Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Khairpur, Badin, Matiari, Sultanabad and Sanghar, he added.
The meeting also discussed development of new markets and market fee arrears outstanding against cotton factories, sugar mills, rice mills and flour mills etc.
