Agricultural production: Costs increasing, subsidies stagnant, farmers say

They would march to Lahore if the government did not lift taxes on agriculture inputs and the electricity tariffs

MULTAN:

Hundreds of farmers at a rally on Monday urged the government to set Rs4,000 per maund support price for cotton, Rs2,200 for rice and Rs280 for sugarcane.

The rally was led by Kissan Board district president Muhammad Ibrahim. Farmers walked from the press club to the commissioner’s office.

They said they would march to Lahore if the government did not lift taxes on agriculture inputs and the electricity tariff’.

They said they would stage a sit-in in front of the Punjab Assembly if the government did not fulfil their demands.

Addressing participants, Ibrahim said the hike in petroleum prices had affected the agricultural sector.

He said diesel oil was used only for transportation in urban areas but its utility in rural areas was manifolds. Ibrahim  said it was used to operate irrigation tubewells and running tractors. He said some 4 billion litres of diesel was used by growers annually.

He said the government would end up destroying the agricultural economy if they did not revise their policies.

He said district leaders of the board were being mobilised to launch a countrywide protest against the hike in petroleum product prices.

Ibrahim  said the government should import oil from Iran and export rice and kinnow under a barter agreement. He said it could provide cheap fuel for Pakistani farmers this way. Ibrahim said the government was oblivious to the plight of farmers.

Ibrahim  said prices of fertilisers and pesticides were skyrocketing but support prices for the produce were low. “This is unfair to farmers,” he said.

He said the price of sugarcane should be raised from Rs170 to Rs280 per maund.

He said the government should provide interest-free loans for purchase of equipment, pesticides and fertilisers. Ibrahim  said payments for sugarcane should be made within 15 days through cheques instead of cane procurement receipts (CPR).

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2015.