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Estimate for cotton production
scaled down
KARACHI-Cotton Crop Assessment Committee has scaled down its
earlier estimate for cotton production in the country from
10.8 to 10.4 million bales for the current season.
Detail
Sugar mills to start crushing season from Nov 30
LAHORE-The sugar mills will start
crushing season from November 30 throughout the province while
lists of approved weight scales (kandas) will be provided to
the
government by November 28.
This was informed by the Punjab Agriculture Minister Khurshid
Zaman Qureshi while presiding over a high level meeting on
Friday.
Provincial Finance Minister Tariq Hameed,Revenue Minister
Malik Muhammad Aslam Khan,Secretary Food Junaid
Iqbal,President,Punjab Sugar Mills Association,Chaudhry Zaka
Ashraf,Secretary Maqsood Cheema attended the meeting.
The meeting decided that sugar mills would clear the
outstanding dues of farmers amounting to Rs.60 million
within15 days of start of crushing season while the payments
would be
made to the growers through cheques.The meeting decided that
the mills would pay farmers the profit at rate of 12% in case
of failure of payment within one month.
November 21,2001
Govt flayed for not
increasing wheat support price
LAHORE�Several farmers
organisations and agriculture experts have criticised the
government for not increasing the wheat support price and
reduction in procurement target.
Detail
Agri depatt suggests tips for cotton growers
Lahore-Agriculture Department Punjab has suggested some tips
for cotton growers to obtain contamination free cotton and
ultimately to fetch good price.
Detail
Minister invites private sector for agri research
Lahore-Punjab Agriculture Minister Mahmood Zaman Qureshi has
invited private sector to set-up laboratories for agriculture
research and to introduce tissue culture technology to get
good yields besides saving precious foreign exchange being
spent on the import of quality seeds.
Addressing a seminar here the other day, the minister said the
government was determined to bring green revolution in the
country and to materialise this goal, achievement of tissue
culture technology was must. He informed seminarites that the
production capacity of quality seeds in Ayyob laboratories had
been increased three times to facilitate the farmers.
Mr Qureshi said to promote and encourage potato cultivation,
establishment of regional farmers committees would be given
under district Nazims control. These committees would
highlight the problems or hurdles in potato's marketing. He
said government was determined to make such a strategy to
discipline the potato yield and prices.
November 23,2001
Cotton crop under threat of 'army worm' attack
Lahore-Some 80,000 acres of cotton crop had to be destroyed in
Dera Ghazi Khan during the current season on the reports of
helio commonly known as "American Sundhi" outbreak in many
fields in the cotton belt of Punjab and some areas in Sindh.
Detail
Textile Vision hinges on
contamination-free cotton
MULTAN-Federal Minister for Commerce, Abdur Razzak Dawood
Thursday said, Pakistan would not be able to proceed ahead
with its revolutionary textile vision plan without making
positive achievements on production of contamination-free
cotton
Detail
No
raise in wheat support price
ISLAMABAD:The federal cabinet here on Wednesday turned down a
proposal to raise the wheat support price by Rs 25 per 40 kg
for the fresh crop, giving no relief to the farmers.
Detail
Availability of water for
Rabi reviewed
ISLAMABAD-A high-level meeting held at the General
Headquarters on Wednesday reviewed water availability
situation during the current Rabi crop.
The meeting was presided over by Maj-Gen Jameel-ur-Rehman
Afiridi and attended by irrigation secretaries of Balochistan
and Sindh, representatives of Punjab and the NWFP, Chairman
Indus River System Authority, Chief Engineering Adviser
Federal Flood Commission and other officials concerned, a
source said. The meeting also reviewed the contingency plans
in case of floods during the winters, the source said.
A Met department official apprised the meeting of the
prospects of rains in the coming winter season. Chairman Irsa
informed the meeting that they had already annulled the
decision taken by an inter-ministerial committee in 1994.
Courtesy Daily Dawn
Govt to start Rs50m fisheries
project
GILGIT-The government has decided to start a project in Ghizer
district at a cost of Rs50 million For the development and
conservation of trout, Northern Areas Fisheries Deputy
Director Syed Ali Shah said on Wednesday.
Detail
PSMA postpones crushing in Punjab on low sugar price
ISLAMABAD–The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association in an emergent
meeting has unanimously decided to postpone the
sugarcane-crushing season for indefinite period and said
that mills would not start to sugarcane crushing until
sugar prices come to a reasonable level.
Detail
15 m acres land becomes victim of water-logging and
salinity
ISLAMABAD-Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Khair
Muhammad Junejo on Tuesday said more than 15 million
acres of barren land may be made cultivable by adopting easy
and cheap process recommended by the Agriculture
Department.
Detail
Bahria foundation to develop
shrimp farm on 2,000 acres
KARACHI- Bahria Foundation will develop the first aquaculture
and shrimp farm over 2,000 acres of land in taluka
Ghorra Bari, Thatta to boost exports of shrimps.
Detail
Agriculture play vital role
in Balochistan economy
QUETTA-Balochistan Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and
Livestock Sardar Sadaat Ali has said agriculture,
fisheries and livestock play a fundamental role in the
development of Balochistan's economy, that is why the
government is paying special attention on these fields.
Detail
Food Security Pilot Project
increases per acre rice yield
ISLAMABAD-Food Security Pilot Project assisted by Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) has helped to increase per acre
yield of Wheat and Rice.
Detail
Sugarcane growers demand
timely payments
LAHORE-Punjab Minister for Agriculture, Khurshid Zaman Qureshi
has stated that the unauthorised and less-weighing
scales will be impounded. In order to ensure timely
payments to the sugarcane growers, sugar millers will be asked
to clear their dues on cash or cheque instead of CPR. He was
talking to a delegation of sugarcane growers hailing from
different districts which called on him, here Friday. Punjab
Detail
ADBP portfolio audit to
commence shortly
ISLAMABAD-A comprehensive audit of Agriculture Development
Bank of Pakistan (ADBP), as a first phase of bank's
restructuring will commence shortly with prime objective
of diagnostic review of its financial management and risk
review policies.
Detail
Developed countries to phase
out subsidies on agriculture, exports
ISLAMABAD-The developed countries have agreed to gradually
phase out the subsidies, they are currently extending to
their agriculture and exports, during the 4th round of
WTO Ministerial Conference ended on November 13 in Doha.
Detail
Foundation laid of Pakistan
Plant Quarantine Project
KARACHI-Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Khair
Mohammed Junejo, Friday laid the foundation stone of Rs 160
million Pakistan Plant Quarantine Expansion Project at Jinnah
Avenue, Malir, and said China's contribution in agriculture
sector development is remarkable.
Detail
New dams vital to cope with
water crisis: FAP
LAHORE–Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) Chairman Shah Mahmood
Qureshi
strongly called upon the government to immediately construct
new small and medium dams to deal with existing water
crisis in the country.
Detail
Incentives package for private
fish farms
LAHORE-The Punjab Fisheries Department has offered a package
of incentives to promote fish farming in the private sector,
to meet the growing need for protein in the country's
increasing population.
Detail
Advisory Committees of potato farmers
LAHORE-Punjab Governor will formulate Advisory committees of
farmers in potato growing areas to get their proposals for
increasing potato production sale in local markets and
promotion of export.
This was informed by Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives
Punjab, Khurshid Zaman Qureshi while addressing a seminar on
'Potato production, marketing and export', here Saturday (Nov.
10).
Advisory Committees will be consisting of potato
growers,agricultural scientists and concerned persons of
marketing and export. The committees will work under control
of district and tehsil Nazims Committees will consider the
problems and hurdles in the way of preparation and
availability of seeds, production, marketing and export of
potato. The Government will take decisions on the
recommendations of committees. The Minister informed that
government will take steps to help growers to get reasonable
rate of their produce. Minister also informed that by
improving the quality and standard of potato products heavy
foreign exchange could also be earned.
Khurshid Zaman Qureshi called upon the progressive farmers and
private sector to set up laboratories for preparing healthy
seeds through Tissue Culture Technology. He assured all out
support in this regard, added the Minister.
November 16, 2001
Meeting approves draft
Agricultural Policy
QUETTA-A high level meeting held here Saturday (Nov 10) under
the chairmanship of Balochistan Governor Justice (R) Amirul
Mulk Mengal considered and approved the draft of Agriculture
Policy for the province
Detail
China secures entry to WTO
DOHA-China won admission Saturday to the World Trade
Organisation, securing an historic, unanimous approval from
WTO countries after 15 years of tortuous negotiations.
Detail
50 WTO members oppose purely commercial approach to
agriculture
DOHA-Some 50 countries attending a WTO ministerial conference
here on Saturday called for the group to take non-commercial
aspects of agriculture into consideration when debating farm
subsidies.
Detail
Decline in wheat production likely
LAHORE-A decline in wheat production is expected as sowing of
the crop will be postponed by at least three weeks in the rice
zone of the province following delay in harvesting of paddy
crop. Detail
Govt.To give fertilizer on concessional
rates
Peshawar-In order to suffice NWFP in Food Sector, the
government of NWFP has decided to provide fertilizer to the
farming community on concessional rates necessary directives
has already been issued to the concerned authorities to
immediately provide one lac, 63 thousand, two hundred bags to
the Farm Services Centres.
Detail
Agriculture Agreement fails to redress inequity
DOHA-Minister for Commerce and Industry Abdul Razak Dawood
Saturday said that the Agriculture Agreement concluded under
the Urguay Round has not redressed the inherent inequity.Abdul
Razak Dawood stated this while addressing the Ministerial
meeting of the "Friends of the Development Box" in Doha
(Qatar) on Saturday.
Detail
Three-day celebration in connection
with Farmers' Day
PESHAWER-Forest Institute held a three-day celebration in
connection with Farmers' Day in Hilkou Water shed, Mansehra
aimed at exposing efforts made by the project to all the
stakeholders as an answer to the emerging challenges faced by
the people of hilly areas. According to a press release issued
here, the celebration captured attention of a large number of
participants including researchers, development organizations,
government officials, farming communities and civil society.
Detail
'Quality of sub-soil water is
deteriorating'
LAHORE-The quality of the sub-soil water will deteriorate
thoroughly in Pakistan if timely measures are not taken,
warned Punjab's Secretary Environment Protection Department.
Detail
Sindh Agriculture Minister
directs forming of teams
KARACHI The Provincial Agriculture Minister, Hasan Ali Chaniho,
Saturday directed that teams of agriculture experts be formed
as part of steps to be taken for attaining self-sufficiency in
the production of basic and pre-basic seeds of wheat and rice.
Detail
'Sugar Industry is in deep crises'
Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has said that Sugar
Industry is in deep crises, which had been created due to
reduction in the import duty on 18 June, 2001.
In a Press statement issued here on Sunday, the Spokesman of
the association said that government reduced the duty when
there was no shortage of sugar in the country, as the industry
had produced 2.5 million tons sugar from sugarcane and 0.6
million tons from raw-sugar so the total production was 3.0 to
3.1 million tons, as compared to the country's total
consumption of 3.0 million tons. However, he said, certain
famous Seths with the manipulation in the federal government's
bureaucracy instead of increasing the import duty from 15 per
cent to 20 per cent got it decreased from 15 per cent to 10
per cent without any reason.
The PSMA Spokesman said, we are shocked to hear the Press
statement of Dr Ashfaq, Chief Economist, Ministry of Finance,
in which he has said that "the country still needs to import
sugar". The Spokesman said that the country has already lost
300 million dollars of foreign exchange due to sugar import
and if policy advisors continued to make such policies and
statements, ultimately the local industry and the country
would suffer a lot.
Chamber of Agriculture
criticises management of a sugar mills
LAHORE-Chamber of Agriculture, Punjab, has strongly criticised
the activities of a sugar mills management situated in Jhang,
who belongs to an influential person, while mentioning the
sugarcane growers plights and miseries at the hands of the
mills' management.
The Spokesman of the chamber said that certain sugarcane
growers stated that the mill was involved in purchasing cane
through middleman at lower price than announced by the
government and less weighing of sugarcane at the mills'
weight-bridge.
The spokesman said that the sugarcane growers' interest would
be safeguarded and if the mills management did not stop these
illegal activities the sugarcane growers would be forced to
come out on the roads and block the supply of sugarcane to
Shakkar Gang Sugar Mills in District Jhang."These illegal
practices are only there, because this Mill is at the moment
monopolising the purchasing of cane, as all other sugar mills
of Punjab have not started their crushing season and have
rather delayed the season," he said.
Rabie crop target finalize
ISLAMABAD - The Federal Government Monday fixed agriculture
crops targets for current Rabi season in view of the acute
water shortage and asked provinces to prepare effective
strategy for achieving maximum per acre yield. Detail
Banks may miss Rs60bn farm loan target
KARACHI, Nov 2: For the third consecutive year in 01-02
banking sector would not be able to meet loaning target (Rs 60
billion) for the farmers, as the biggest loaning agency , the
Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP) is virtually
limping in its operations for want of resources.
Detail
Junejo outlines grower-friendly
plan
MULTAN: Outlining a grower-friendly plan to boost agriculture
sector, Federal Minister for Agriculture Kher Muhammad Junejo
has said, government is endeavouring hard to save farmers from
facing the impact of taxes levied on the suggestion of
international financial institutions.Detail
Cotton growers not being paid
fixed price
NAWABSHAH: The cotton growers were in financial crisis due to
low rates of cotton in the market, due to conflict between
ginners and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP). The
government has fixed Rs780 for 40 KG of cotton but the growers
are not being paid the fixed price of cotton. According to
growers the ginners are paying not more than Rs660.
Detail
Hybrid rice technology to improve yield, says Junejo
LAHORE: Introduction of hybrid rice technology in Pakistan
would go a long way in improving the per acre yield of the
crop and reduce cost of production on this crop.
This was stated by the Federal Minister for Food and
Agriculture, Khair Mhammad Junejo while speaking on completion
of the acquisition of the hybrid rice technology transferred
by China here at Gaurd Rice Mills.
Detail
Deliberations on 'Engineering Vision' held
LAHORE : Out of the total 11 sectors identified for
deliberations to devise 'Engineering Vision' by the Small and
Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda), a meeting
regarding the Automotive and Agricultural machinery sector was
held at the premises of Thal Engineering Korangi Industrial
Area, Karachi.
Detail
Sales tax exempted on local supply of urea fertiliser
ISLAMABAD : The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has announced
the exemption of general sales tax (GST) on the local supplies
of urea fertiliser, other than importers or manufacturers,
from April 1, 2001. It indicates that the department would not
charge GST on the supply of urea fertiliser after April 1.
Detail
Water scarcity posing threat to food output:
Agricultural
Research Council
LAHORE : The gradual depletion of available water resources
both at ground and underground levels is causing direct threat
to national economy and negative impact on food production
across the country. This was stated by Dr Riaz A Mann,
in-charge, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (Parc)
station, Kala Shah Kaku on Wednesday in a briefing given to
Parc chief Dr Umar Khan Baloch about the experiments.
Detail
Farmers to be briefed on new trends of global market
ISLAMABAD : The government has decided to devise a mechanism
to monitor requirements and new trends of the international
market before sowing of major crops. The agriculturists would
be apprised about these information so that they could avail
the opportunity and draw maximum benefit out of it. Detail
Speedy credit to farmers ordered
ISLAMABAD - The federal government Friday directed all related
financial institutions and commercial banks to pace up the
process for extending credit line to farmers to achieve
maximum harvest for current Rabi season. Detail
President okays wheat support
price mechanism
ISLAMABAD - President General Pervez Musharraf Monday allowed
to continue support price mechanism for wheat during the
current fiscal year as International Financial Institutions (IFIs)
including the IMF and Asian Development Bank have hinted at
relaxing conditionalities for improving performance of agri
sector.
Detail
Plight of sugarcane growers
Due to differences between sugar
cane growers and sugar mill owners, the sugar cane
crushing season would start about a month and a half later
than usual. After cotton, sugar cane appears to be the next
crop in crisis. On 18th October a meeting of sugar cane
growers and sugar mill owners was scheduled to be held under
the chairmanship of provincial agriculture minister.
Detail
Honey being exported after
attaining self-sufficiency
ISLAMABAD-Pakistan has attained self-sufficiency in honey
production and has started export of the commodity to Gulf and
other countries.Honey produced from plants is of prime quality and can be sold
at good price in the markets abroad.
Detail
Demo against low cotton
prices
MULTAN-Cotton growers during a
procession demanded of the government to immediately direct
Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to expedite its
procurement operation and buy cotton from the growers as it
has just bought 4,00,000 bales so far as against set target of
10 lakh bales. They further asked the government to set
minimum support price of cotton at Rs 1,200.
Detail
Agri support prices to
protect farmers will continue
FAISALABAD -Shafi Niaz, Adviser to Chief Executive on Food,
Agriculture and Livestock has disclosed that the government
has decided continuation of support prices for wheat, cotton,
rice and sugarcane to protect the farmers community.
Detail
Loans : PPCB to promote agri, auxiliary
segments
LAHORE-Punjab Provincial Cooperative Bank has made an action
plan to provide services to promote agriculture and auxiliary
sectors.
Detail
Livestock Dept to cultivate crops on
its 18 farms
LAHORE-Punjab Secretary Livestock
Raees Abbas Zaidi has stated that the crops like wheat, maize
and cotton will be brought under cultivation on 2500 acres of
land of 18 farms owned by the department.
He was chairing a meeting of the department here on Wednesday.
The secretary directed the managers of the farms to cultivate
wheat, maize and cotton crops on the area of the farms and
enhance its income minimum upto 10 per cent. The Secretary
asked the managers to focus on raise of farm's income as well
as the number of milking animals so as to overcome the
deficiency of meat, milk and eggs.
FAP writes letter to
President
LAHORE- Farmers Associates
Pakistan (FAP) has demanded of President of Pakistan General
Pervez Musharraf to ask Pakistan Agriculture Storage and
Services Corporation (PASSCO) for effective intervention to
stabilize the dwindling paddy prices.
In a letter to written to President of Pakistan Gen. Pervez
Musharraf by Chief Coordinator of FAP, Mohammad Idrees, he
lamented that existing market price was much low than the
officially announced support price of various rice varieties.
He said that PASSCO was unable to effectively implement the
support price due to delayed decision making. He urged the
government that a timely action from PASSCO was must to save
the growers from crises.
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