LAHORE, Oct 9: Punjab Agriculture Minister Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh has asked fertiliser companies to withdraw increase in fertiliser prices immediately failing which their stocks will be confiscated and sold at control price to farmers.

Mr Aulakh said at a meeting of importers and manufacturers of fertilisers here on Thursday that the overcharging and hoarding of fertilisers would not be tolerated. He said undue and untimely increase in prices timed with the sowing season were against the interests of farmers and the country.

Agriculture Secretary Javed Iqbal Awan said that the department had the right to confiscate fertiliser stocks and sell them to growers at fixed price in the event of arbitrary prices being charged by the companies.