SUKKUR, June 29: Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Sikandar Hayat Bossan on Tuesday said that China would purchase millions of tons of rice as a result of trade agreement between the two countries, which would benefit the growers of Sindh.

He was inaugurating the watercourse scheme in Sangrar near Sukkur. Federal Minister for Industries and Production Jehangir Tareen and state minister Mohammad Ali Malkani were also present on the occasion.

Federal minister for food and agriculture Sikandar Hayat Bossan said that 0.5 million tons urea would be imported this year, so that the growers could not feel any difficulty in sowing crops.

He said the imported urea would cost Rs1200 per bag, but the government while giving the subsidy of Rs7 billions would provide that urea to the growers for Rs400 per bag. He said that efforts were also under way to provide cheap and high quality pesticides to the growers.

Sikandar Hayat said that several watercourses had been constructed in Punjab, while in Sindh the construction had just started.

Federal Minister for industries Jehangir Tareen said that Rs66 billions would be spent over the construction of watercourses, out of which government would spend Rs50 billions while the remaining would be borne by the growers.

He said that to avoid corruption, the construction work of watercourses would be done under the supervision of the growers. He said that agriculture machinery had been exempted from tax, while 10,000 tractors would be imported to boost the agro-economy. He said that agriculture loans to the tune of Rs100 billions would be advanced to the growers, while next year the amount would be increased by 25 per cent.

On this occasion, the state minister Mohammad Ali Malkani said that all the watercourses would be constructed within four years, due to which 7 to 8 millions acre feet water would be saved from going waste.