Trade associations look for fair implementation

Want United Business Group to ensure benefit passed on to small farmers

ISLAMABAD: Three trade associations of south Punjab on Monday asked the United Business Group to monitor the implementation progress of the prime minister’s agriculture package so that small growers can benefit from it.

Khanewal Chamber of Commerce, Pakistan Crops Protection Association and All Pakistan Seed Association has asked UBG Chairman Iftikhar Ali Malik and Patron-in-Chief SM Muneer to ensure transparent implementation of the package, said a statement issued here.



The demand comes at a time when UBG leaders have embarked on a visit to south Punjab to muster support in the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) elections for their candidate Abdul Rauf Alam.

Speaking on the occasion, Haji Attaur Rehman of the crops association said that all trade bodies present here will support the UBG candidate. He stressed that the agricultural package must be equally distributed and should not just be concentrated among the privileged class.

Malik and Muneer said that the Rs341-billion package is designed to bail out farmers suffering from multiple issues.



They said that they will ensure that the benefit of the move must reach all the intended recipients in a quick and transparent manner.

“The government is fully aware of issues like increasing input prices, hiccups in urea distribution, influence of middlemen, lack of loans, provision of quality seed, and fake pesticides,” said the UBG leaders. “These issues are being resolved.”

“The Rs20-billion subsidy on urea would bring down the price which will increase its application and boost output,” they noted.



FPCCI Presidential Candidate Abdul Rauf Alam said that the rural economy must be linked to the industry and storage facilities must be upgraded so that value addition could assist all the stakeholders.

“I will personally look into the issue and will try to get more compensation for farmers,” he promised.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2015.

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