SCA demands Rs100b to be earmarked for agriculture in the next budget

Sindh Chamber of Agriculture office bearers warn of a province wide movement if demands not met

HYDERABAD: Citing unremitting inflationary trend in the prices of agricultural inputs, Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has asked the Centre and the Sindh government to earmark Rs100 billion for agriculture support package in the 2019-20 budget. SCA's office bearers and members, who took out a protest rally in Hyderabad on Sunday, also demanded a State Bank provided compensation by means of loan waiver for the rupee devaluation at a press conference later.

SCA President Qabool Muhammad Khatian warned that the farmers in Sindh will launch a province wide protest movement after Eidul Fitr if their demands are not accepted. "The conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will lead to further hike in prices of agricultural inputs and destruction of the agricultural economy and the farmers," he said.

According to him, the cost of cultivation will increase further if Paksitani currency underwent more devaluation as several inputs like DAP [diammonium phosphate] fertiliser, pesticides, hybrid seed, tractors and agricultural machinery are imported items. Khatian bemoaned that the federal government has already withdrawn subsidy from fertiliser, diesel, tractors and agricultural machinery.



"The price of a tractor was around Rs1.8 million before the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government came to power. It is now being sold at Rs2.365m," said SCA Vice President Nabi Bux Sathio. He predicted that the price will inevitably soar in the wake of devaluation.

Sathio added that even the Sindh government has failed to provide subsidy for tractors. According to him, the provincial government had announced a subsidy for tractors in 2017 and in February 2018 the balloting was held in which 5,200 farmers out of around 29,000 applicants were selected for the subsidy of Rs200,000 and Rs300,000. However, he lamented, the government has not released the subsidy even after passage of 15 months.