Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) while appreciating the allocation of funds for construction of different dams and water reservoirs in the budget 2007-08 has urged the government to allocate amount for construction of Kalabagh dam too in the budget for the next financial year.
This demand was raised by the FAP at its 111th Extraordinary General Body meeting held at the Lahore Press Club (LPC) here on Wednesday.
Before the General Body meeting, the newly elected 27 member Executive Committee of the organisation also met at the same venue and elected Shah Mahmood Qureshi as its Chairman and Hussain Jehanian Gardezi as Vice-Chairman for the next three years.
Later briefing the newsmen about the proceedings of the meeting, new Vice-Chairman, Hussain Jehanian Gardezi, said that FAP members hailed the government announcement of extending subsidy on electricity used for tube wells for agriculture.
However, they urged that the government should also extend same subsidy on tube wells being run on diesel for agricultural purposes. Gardezi agreed with an observation that allocation for agricultural sector both in the Federal and provincial budgets should be enhanced especially for agricultural research.
FAP members also urged that the loadshedding schedule for rural areas should be announced in advance, so that the farmers could know when to run their tube wells for irrigation purposes.
They also appreciated the enhancement of subsidy on phosphate fertilisers and urged the government to ensure that this subsidy should be passed on to the farmers.
FAP members pointed out shortage of Potassium-based fertilisers and urged that this gap should be met at the earliest. They said these fertilisers were very important for Kharif crop and especially for the rice. Manufacturer of an organic fertiliser, which could enhance the fertility of land, also gave FAP members a briefing. Gardezi said that the FAP members observed that plants of such fertilisers should be set up in all the cities and subsidy should also be given to organic fertilisers.
Referring to the news of allowing cotton import through Wahga, FAP members urged the government to take any decision with regard to agri-based trade in a wise manner fully protecting interests of the farmers.
FAP also urged that there was not a single manufacturing unit of pesticide in the country and government should give attention towards this sector.
Replying to different queries of the reporters, Hussain Jehanian who also holds the portfolio of Food Minister Punjab disclosed that the Food Department had procured 2.6 million metric tons of wheat till date, which was enough for the requirement of the province. He also assured to look in to recent increase in flour prices and take steps to bring back the prices of the flour bags.