"We would not let the lonely manufacturer of urea to increase its prices by Rs 190" said Punjab Minister for agriculture Malik Ahmed Ali Aulakh while talking to newsmen here on Wednesday. He said that there was no shortage of urea in the country. Furthermore around 0.1 million tonnes of urea was also available at Rs 780 per bag for Rabi season (October to March) with the government.
Moreover 0.225 million tonnes is being imported through Saudi Basic Industries Corporation facility to cater to shortages in domestic urea production foreseen due to energy crunch leading to 20 percent gas curtailment since May 2010 and the extended winter gas load shedding for 45 days in 2010-11.
According to him, the government has directed the lonely manufacturer, who had increased the price of urea by Rs 190/50-urea fertiliser bag to immediately explain this decision to the Fertiliser Price Review Committee. The Ministry of Industry and Production said it was indeed alarming situation that a manufacturer might increase price of urea without bringing into government notice. The government was fully aware of the need to make urea available and affordable to the growers. The government had provided imported urea to all floods affected farmers free of cost. Punjab Minister for agriculture Malik Ahmed Ali Aulakh has said that there is no shortage of the commodity (fertiliser) in the market due to sufficient local production and its import and Government would take action against profiteers selling fertiliser bags at higher prices.
However, in peak hours its demand rises, which creates panic among growers and the dealers taking advantage of the situation raise its prices. At provincial level, it is the policy of the government to ensure availability of the fertiliser whereas ensuring proper price mechanism, which is responsibility of the district administration. Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, according to him, has asked all the Commissioners and DCOs, EDOs, DDOs to take appropriate measures to curb price hikes,"
About the establishment of new laboratories/Centers of international standard for agricultural research, the minister said the government is going to establish 3 research centers with the support of USAID and three other centers under PSDP funded would be established. The minister said the federal government ensured prices to growers of wheat and sugarcane, which yield positive results. Through government interventions, sowing area of sugarcane was increased and expected higher crop this year.
Aulakh said the government has taken numerous measures for promotion of agriculture sector including implementing 59 developmental projects of 3-5 years duration, costing Rs 143 billion under PSDP. The government also plans development of agriculture infrastructure including warehousing facilities, agriculture marketing and grain storage facilities. To promote mechanisation, the government has removed duties and taxes on the imported agricultural implements and machinery for agro-based industry. The Minister said that federal government should write off agriculture loan in the flood-affected areas. In most part of the affected areas, the crops are ensured and their compensation should also be made by the insurance agencies.
The Minister said that the government should not allow smuggling of goats to Iran. However, he expressed apprehension that livestock is probably being smuggled to Iran and in this regard he stated that maintaining check and balance on smuggling is the matter of provincial governments and law enforcing agencies like police, rangers, frontier core, frontier constabulary and coast guards and custom authorities. "The role of the ministry is only confined to determining and declaring quantity of exportable live animals for meat purpose and issuing Animal Health Certificates to the animal exporters," he said. The Minister said that main objective of export of meat animals is to encourage the local livestock farmers to raise animals in order to fetch better prices and at the same time by export discourage large-scale smuggling of live animals across the borders.