HYDERABAD, Jan 5: The central executive committee of Sindh Abadgar Board at a meeting held here on Saturday has demanded that the recovery of agriculture income tax should be postponed till the decision by court of law as some farmers had challenged this matter in court.

It also called for the withdrawal of interest on agricultural loans and demanded that a soft package should be announced to pay the agricultural loans in easy instalments.

The meeting demanded that sales tax should be withdrawn on fertilizer, pesticides, seeds and other inputs to give boost to the agriculture produce.

In another resolution, it demanded that rebate should be given on the export of cotton, sugar, livestock, vegetables and fruits and new scientific methods should be evolved for the optimum use of water.

Expressing grave concern over the closure of sugar mills, the meeting said that the crisis had emerged due to low sugar prices and import of sugar by the government even after the beginning of crushing season.

The meeting noted that this had created insurmountable problems for the sugar industry as well as for the sugarcane growers.

It pointed out that sugarcane was the only crop in which the growers earned some profit provided the government fixed just support price for sugarcane.

The meeting, however, regretted that due to competition among the sugar mills, the loot and plunder of the middleman, and apathy of the concerned authorities the sugarcane growers had been utterly disappointed.

It suggested that the import of any food grain item should be stopped at the time of harvesting, export rebate which was Rs6.50 per kg on sugar in the past should be restored, sugar mills should be given interest free credit facilities for the first three months of the crushing season so that the mills have some liquidity in their hands before they were able to bring the finished products in the market.

The meeting recalled that the government had reserved 30 per cent shops and plots for the growers in Karachi’s new vegetable and fruit market for which the growers had deposited the relevant documents and paid the prices of the plots and shops. It regretted that although some applicants had been given shops and plots but some genuine vegetable and fruit growers had not been accommodated.

The meeting expressed surprise that although the government had announced Rs200 premium on Phutti (cotton seed) but its implementation had remained restricted only to lower Punjab whereas the growers of Sindh had been deprived of this facility.

The reminded the government that agriculture sector was the backbone of country’s economy and its importance has further increased due to the prevailing international situation and tension on the borders.

It said that the priority of agriculture should be fixed only next to defence industry and demanded that the government should pay more attention to the matters pertaining to agriculture such as water, research, marketing and prices of crops.