Urea-Z: Increased productivity key to unlocking growth

Food minister says bioactive fertiliser can help farmers.

LAHORE: The government is working on options to increase productivity of different crops. This was stated by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan.

The minister highlighted agriculture’s contribution to the GDP (21%), stressing that the sector needed to be given top priority.

While delivering a speech at the launching ceremony of Urea-Z – a bioactive nutrient fortified fertiliser introduced for the first time in Pakistan – Bosan said the introduction will ensured bioavailability of immobile and less mobile nutrients during the crop life.



The products not only improve plant health and yield but also minimise financial burden on farmers. Along with Urea-Z, Niha Tech Limited has also introduced Bio Organo Phosphorus.

Niha Tech CEO Nadeem Tariq said zinc is a critical micronutrient, not only for production purposes but also human health.

“Primary reason for deficiency in crops is its lower bioavailability from soils to plant,” he said. “Under Pakistani soil and environmental conditions, only 4% to 8% zinc applied in soil is available to plant and remaining is wasted.”

Farmers of rice, maize, sugarcane, potato and other crops generally spend Rs3,350 per acre on one bag of 50-kg urea and 6kg of 33% zinc sulphate. Due to 30% to 60% losses from urea, combined with the zinc loss, farmers do not get sufficient return for their investment in the form of quantity and quality of crops.

He said lower concentration of zinc in agricultural produce has started seriously affecting human health in Pakistan. The most efficient and economical channel of providing sufficient zinc to the masses is through agricultural produce.

“Therefore, it is very critical to increase availability of zinc to avert negative impact of deficiencies,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th,  2015.

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