Agriculture sector: Sarwar urges govt to end agri goods trade with India

Says support prices should be announced for cotton, rice and potato crops

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar on Sunday issued 15 demands for the government regarding the agriculture sector.

A statement issued from his office dismissed as a political stunt the agriculture package announced by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif earlier on Saturday.

Sarwar said the country’s economy could not be strengthened without strengthening the agriculture sector.

He urged the federal government to take emergency measures to uplift agriculture sector across the country.

The list of demands included a call to end trade of agricultural commodities with India and to highlight on at the international level India’s role in causing water shortage in the country. “India is violating the Indus Water Treaty by building dams on western rivers,” the statement said.

Sarwar said by allowing trade in agricultural goods with India the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government was committing economic murder of the farming community.

Other demands included provision cheap electricity to the farmers. He said the per unit price charged for electricity used for agriculture purposes should be fixed at Rs5.

He called upon the government to withdraw the general sales tax on agricultural equipment. “Media reports suggest that the government collects around Rs60 billion through the GST on agricultural goods. He sought announcement of support prices for cotton, potato, rice, sugarcane and corn. “Support price for potatoes should be set at Rs40 per kg. The government should ensure availability of potatoes in retail markets at subsidised rates,” he said.

He also urged the government to push the sugar mills to clear all arrears of sugarcane farmers. Other demands included a flat 50 per cent subsidy on prices of fertilisers, pesticides and tractors and provision of agricultural equipment through interest-free loan schemes.

Relief funds not reaching farmers:

The government is only good at announcing relief packages, but no funds reach farmers in reality, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said on Sunday.

He was talking to reporters after chairing a meeting of the PML-Q reorganisation committees.

“Before announcing any further agriculture packages, the government should first tell people about the progress in the PM’s Kissan Package announced in 2015. Funds meant for farmers were embezzled by patwaris. This relief package will meet the same fate,” he said.

He said that PML-Q re-organisation committees had accelerated their work. “Work in Lahore Division has formally been started. Tariq Bashir Cheema and Ahmad Yar Heraj are re-organising the party in Multan, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalnagar districts. Likewise, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin Khan and Muhammad Basharat Raja are heading the re-organisation committee for Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Attock, Jhelum and Faisalabad districts. Bao Rizwan and Dr Azeemuddin Zahid Lakhvi are strengthening the party in Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal and Nankana Sahib districts,” he said.

Elahi said that party conventions would be held at division level after the re-organisation process was complete. He said the party’s youth, ulema, labour, minorities and lawyers’ wings were also being strengthened.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st,  2016.