LAHORE, Dec 24: The Farmers Associates Pakistan on Tuesday warned of, what it called, imminent potato crisis in the country as its price crashes and farmers opt for other crops.

FAP chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a press conference that per acre cost for the crop was around Rs30,000. Farmers needed at least Rs425 per 120kg sack to recover the cost. But, they were getting Rs300 only.

He apprehended that farmers could shift to other crops. There was a possibility that the government might have to import potato next year, he feared. He demanded that the government should ask its agencies to procure potato to help farmers recover the cost.

He also condemned the government’s decision to lower the ceiling for agricultural income tax from 12.5 to five acres. “This is condemnable, especially when agriculture growth is negative and productivity stagnant. The government should not make lives of farmers more miserable by taking such decisions,” he said.

The FAP, he said, also wanted to register its protest against the ever increasing diesel prices. The high price of Rs21 per litre had rendered agriculture totally profitless. The government should assess the impact that high diesel prices were having on the farmers, especially because of water crisis; over 80 per cent of 500,000 tubewells in the province were being operated on diesel, he said.

The government provided relief to Balochistan farmers through a flat rate, but it was charging high tariff from rest of the country. The flat rate cover must be extended to other three provinces also, he demanded.

Lauding the Bank of Punjab’s decision to cut interest rate to nine per cent, the FAP chief wondered why others were being asked to follow. “After all, if the BoP can cut rate and still make profits, why others are charging as high as 14 per cent. The government should ask the ADBP and other commercial institutions to lower the rate,” he continued.

He said another crisis which was affecting the agriculture sector was that of abiyana. The government has officially announced water shortage of 45 per cent. But, it was charging cent per cent abiyana. “This is totally unjustified,” he said.— Staff Reporter