ISLAMABAD, March 3: A meeting of the cabinet committee on fertilizer, set up by the prime minister to reduce fertilizer prices, remained inconclusive on Monday, though the prime minister’s adviser on finance also participated as a co-opted member.

The meeting will, however, meet again by end of the week to further deliberate upon the issue. The representatives of major fertilizer units would also be invited to attend the meeting to find out some solution, sources told Dawn.

In the meantime, the Planning Commission, the Federal Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would conduct comprehensive survey to ascertain prevailing prices in various parts of the country, its availability and other related factors.

The sources said that while officials of the Ministry of Industries and Production were supporting the fertilizer industry and pleading further incentives for its expansion, the officials of the planing and food ministries wanted reduction in prices.

Advisor to the PM on Finance Shaukat Aziz, who was invited as a co-opted member, was of the view that all the stakeholders should get benefit as a result of the deliberations of the cabinet committee, but did not offer any solution, said the sources.

An official statement said the meeting discussed in detail various options to provide relief to the farmers by reducing prices of fertilizers, investment in the fertilizer sector, comparative statement of the prices in the regional and international market, cost of inputs, demand and supply system of fertilizers to the farmers, and other related matters.

Industries and Production Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi while presiding over the meeting said that Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali had directed that all the options should be considered to provide relief in the prices of fertilizers and any other incentive to the farmers in order to encourage them.

He said all the stakeholders would be consulted and all the issues would be considered for taking any decision. The committee was constituted by the prime minister to provide relief to the growers and rationalize the prices of fertilizer in the country.