Market
Watch
Farmers still
waiting for govt to purchase cotton
LAHORE - Around two million bales of cotton are still lying
with farmers and ginners in Punjab, while Trading Corporation
of Pakistan (TCP) stopped its purchasing campaign without
completing target.
Detail
Wheat sown over 8.8 lakh acres in RY
Khan
RAHIM YAR KHAN-Wheat has been sown over an area of 8 lakh 8
thousand acres in district Rahim Yar Khan, which is seven
percent more as compared to last year.This was told in a
meeting of district Agri Advisory committee held here with DCO
Atta Muhammad Khan in the chair here on Jan 25, 2002.
Detail
Export of kinnoo restarts
KARACHI: The export of kinnoo has restarted to Far Eastern
countries after a break of ten days and about 800 containers
have been shipped so far to these destinations.
Detail
No
let-up in cotton buying spree
KARACHI: The buying spree continued unabated on the cotton
market on Thursday. Both the spinners and exporters lifted the
available lots at low prices'.
Detail
Impurities in cotton
lowered to five grams
LAHORE, : The joint government-Aptma programme to reduce cotton
contamination through a supervised ginning project is said to
have brought down the level of impurities in cotton to an
average five grams a bale of 170kg from 20 grams in four
districts of the province.
Detail
Sugar prices
fall
KARACHI, Jan 23: The unsold stocks of white refined sugar with
sugar mills have risen to 0.459 million tons as the lifting,
both from commercial traders and general wholesalers, is not
in consonance with the rising production.
Detail
Spinners
continue to build up long position
KARACHI: Cotton market passed
through another brisk trading session on Wednesday as spinners
continued to build up long positions at the current levels amid
fears of price flare-up.
Detail
Cotton market
lacks buying interest
KARACHI, Jan 14: Trading on the cotton market on Monday lacked
normal buying interest as spinners kept to the sidelines most of
the time, awaiting some positive developments on the export
front.
Detail
Release of transgenic cotton varieties soon after biosafety
laws
LAHORE- The bio-technology research institutes of the country
will release the genetically modified varieties of cotton and
other crops for cultivation soon after the enactment of the
bio-safety guidelines and Plant Breeders Act.
" The inordinate delay in the approval of bio-safety
guidelines and the enactment of plant breeders act is
depriving the Pakistani growers of the benefits of the
bio-technology."
This was stated by Dr. Kausar Abdullah Malik, member
(Biosciences) Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) here on
January 9, 2002.Dr. Malik said that the biotechnology research
institutes like NIBGE and Centre of Excellence for Molecular
Biology (CEMB) had so far produced 100-150 kilogram seed of
high yielding and pest resistant genetically modified cotton
varieties like NIAB, Karishma and added that the seed could be
multiplied after the promulgation of new laws.
" Presently, pest resistant genes have been introduced into
only three cotton varieties; we are planning to genetically
modify another three varieties in near future," he said.
Criticising certain non-governmental organizations for their
opposition to the plant breeders rights laws, he said that
these bodies with non-scientific mindset were raising
hue and cry just out of their vested interests.
Active
buying on cotton market
KARACHI, Jan 10: Cotton market on Thursday showed an improved
trend as spinners remained active buyers of quality lots
offered by ginners below Rs1,800 per maund.
Detail
Iraq may
allow private sector to handle shipment: Wheat exports
KARACHI, Jan 9: Iraq has agreed to give due consideration to
Pakistan's request to allow private sector for handling wheat
exports, being purchased under phase 11 of the UN programme
'oil-for-food', official sources said.
Detail
Cotton to be sown at 3.125m
hectares
KARACHI (APP)–The Cotton Crop Assessment Committee met here at
the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee under the chairmanship
of M. Shafi Niaz, Advisor to the Chief Executive on Food and
Agriculture.
Detail
Cotton easy amid thin trading
KARACHI: The cotton market remained bearishly inclined on
Wednesday due to the absence of buying interest. The spinners
took a breather after Tuesday's hectic buying.
Detail
'Increase in cotton cultivation areas
needed'
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Khair
Muhammad Junejo has said cotton cultivation area requires
substantial increase to cope with growing problem of water
shortage.
Talking to APP here, he said emphasis is being laid on
enhancement of cotton cultivation in the areas facing problem
of water shortage. He said cotton requires less water as
compared to some other crops and it is vital to create
awareness among the farmers in this connection.
Junejo said a survey of different areas has been conducted by
the government to analyse the situation which revealed that
soil and climatic conditions of certain areas were favourable
for cotton growing.
Agriculture Minister said certain areas of Kashmore and
Jacobabad in Sindh and Put-feeder in Balochistan are found to
be more suitable for cotton crop. The cotton produce of these
areas proved to be superior as compared to the existing
production of the other areas of the country. Presently paddy
crop is being cultivated in these areas which require much
water for the growth, he added.
Khair Muhammad Junejo said agriculture department is working
out a strategy to effectively meet the challenges of the
prevailing situation by disseminating knowledge about
cultivation of less water consuming crops.
Cotton crop size estimated
at 10.4m bales
KARACHI, Jan 8: Cotton crop size this season has been assessed
at 10.4 million bales ex-farm by the Cotton Crop Assessment
Committee (CCAC) of the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC).
Detail
TCP announces new procurement
rates for cotton
KARACHI-Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has fixed new
rates for the procurement rates for grade box II contamination
free or low contamination cotton from Rahimyar Khan district.
According to TCP here on Dec 31, 2001, the Corporation will
buy Grade
Box II cotton with staple length 1-1/16" at Rs 2,037 per 40
kilograms while Rs 1,901 per maund (37.32 kgs) till December
26, 2001.
The cotton should have a moisture content of 8 percent,
micronaire 3.8 to 4.9 NCL and trash content of 4.7 percent
while the cotton should be packed in TCP's standard export
packing.
The TCP will pay an additional premium of Rs 200 per maund on
the purchase of zero-contamination cotton, and Rs 75 per maund
on low contamination from 0.5 to 2.5 grams in a bale. So far
TCP has procured 1,200 bales of contamination free or low
contamination cotton from registered ginning factories of
Rahimyar Khan district.
Iranian delegation arriving
to hold talks on export of rice
KARACHI-An Iranian delegation will arrive in Pakistan on
January 7 to negotiate the purchase of rice, exporters said
here on Dec 31, 2001. They said that the delegation from
Government Trading Corporation (GTC) of Iran will meet rice
exporters during their stay in Pakistan and visit Lahore and
Karachi.
The GTC Iran is interested in the purchase IRRI-9 and Basmati
385 from Pakistan. In this regard a group of leading rice
exporters will be formed for the supply of rice. Those
exporters will be preferred who had earlier supplied rice to
Iran. It may be noted that Pakistani rice exporters had
supplied 15,000 metric tons of IRRI-9 rice to Iran in
September 2000.
Private cos to be allowed to buy seeds
ISLAMABAD-Pakistan has agreed to
Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s demand of extending all the
private seed companies of the country "unrestricted access" to
breeders enabling them to obtain newly developed seeds /
varieties from government research institutes to produce them
on commercial basis, The News reliably learnt.Detail
Rice output faces shortfall
ISLAMABAD-The rice exports during the current fiscal year may
suffer due to shortfall in rice production against the last
fiscal year.
According to estimates of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture,
the rice production faces shortfall by one million tonnes
during the current fiscal year due to water shortage. In its
latest estimates the Ministry of Food and Agricultural has
observed one million tons shortfall in the production of rice
this year because of water shortage.
When contacted Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and
Livestock Khair Muhammad Junejo said rice production had been
estimated at 3.8 million tons this year as compared to 4.8
million tons last year.
But he did not agree with the notion that less production may
hamper the rice export operation during the current fiscal
year, saying the production of Irri has decreased but basmati
production has increased, which is mainly exported.
When asked whether the water shortage has played any role in
decreasing the production of paddy crop throughout the
country, he said: "Yes, water shortage was one of the reasons,
but we have encouraged the farmers to grow basmati instead of
Irri and cotton." However, the commerce ministry was expecting
above $500 million worth of rice exports this year, but
shortfall in rice output may drag its exports below $500
million.
Coutesy The News, December 29,
2001
Govt worries about wheat sales to WFP
KARACHI-Government's hopes to supply 300,000 tonnes of wheat
to Afghanistan are fading after a US wheat donation to feed
Afghans driven from their homes by war and drought, a senior
official said on Friday.
Detail
Iran to procure 45,000
tonnes Pak rice after Ramazan
ISLAMABAD-Iran has agreed to procure 45,000 tonnes of rice
from Pakistan.
This was disclosed by the visiting Iranian Minister for
Agriculture and Plant Protection in a meeting which was
chaired by Abdul Razak Dawood, Federal Minister for Commerce,
Industries and Production, here today.Detail
10.4 milliion bales cotton production
KARACHI-Cotton production this year in Pakistan would possibly
be around 10.4 million bales one x-farm basis (Punjab 8.2 million, Sindh 2.1 million and
Baluchistan 0.1 million) .This was announced by Cotton crop Assessment Committee at a
meeting in Karachi on Dec 22, 2001,
chaired by Adviser to Chief Executive on Food and Agriculture
Dr. Shafi Niaz after taking into
account past years experience and available observation and
field data.
Detail
Pakistan to achieve agri targets: Junejo
ISLAMABAD-Minister for Food and Agriculture Khair Muhammad
Junejo said Pakistan will achieve its production targets in
agriculture this year despite shortage of water.
In an interview to BBC Radio on Dec 27, 2001, Junejo said
production targets of wheat, cotton, sugarcane and edible oil
will be achieved. He said we are cultivating wheat on five
percent additional area this year and it is hoped that we will
cross the production target of last year.
Cotton production was 10.7 million tons. We will produce more
edible oil and sugarcane production will also be much better
as compared to last year, Junejo said.
He said Pakistan will not import sugar this year because we
are expecting the sugar production of six million tons against
domestic demand of three million tons.
To a question about shortage of water in Sindh, the Minister
said underground water in Sindh is contaminated as compared to
Punjab where underground water is sweet.
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