Punjab Agriculture Minister, Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh has expressed the fear that price hike in urea fertiliser may result in unachieved production targets of wheat and other Rabi crops.
Federal government should take strict notice of uncontrolled increase in prices of urea fertiliser by the fertiliser manufacturing companies, Aulakh said while talking to media men after meeting a delegation of farmers here on Monday.
The Minister said that crop yields of small farmers are badly affecting due to unavailability of fertilisers at affordable prices. He further said that a transparent mechanism in consultation with provincial governments should be evolved while fixing fertiliser prices.
He said that government of Punjab has decided to take strict action under law against fertiliser dealers involved in charging high prices and black marketing of urea fertilizer. He directed concerned government functionaries to monitor the supply of fertiliser starting from the factory gate to the dealer and onward sale to the farmers.
He reiterated that all administrative measures would be taken to protect interests of the farming community and to check the sale of urea fertiliser at high price for entire Punjab province. He further said that the present government realising the importance of this sector has diverted major share of its resources for Agriculture sector to not only ensure self-sufficiency but also produce surplus for exports.
The Minister said that Chief Minister Punjab has signed a number of memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with China and Turkish governments to help farmers of Punjab province to produce agricultural commodities meeting international food safety and quality standards and linking our agricultural produce to national and global markets.
He said that 52 new varieties of different crops have been approved by Punjab Seed Council (PSC) during present regime since 2008 whereas only 33 were approved during tenure of previous government over a period of five years.