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Requirement of Alfalfa Re-Sowing – Alfalfa Hay Farming
There are many factors which decide when the time is right to rotate your Alfalfa fields, majorly local climate and growing conditions, but there are a few indicators that are consistent regardless of geography.
January 2017
Energy
solutions and climate change
It is well known that the ravages of
climate change and environmental
degradation are most keenly felt in
the poorest parts of the world. The
untold suffering of Pakistan’s
vulnerable communities in the wake
of devastating floods remains a
bitter indictment against successive
governments
December 2016
Adapting to climate change
Over the past two decades it has
become increasingly clear that
climate is changing across the
globe. The Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) published
its first assessment report in 1990,
highlighting this aspect.
December 2016
Adapting to climate change
Over the past two decades it has
become increasingly clear that
climate is changing across the
globe. The Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) published
its first assessment report in 1990,
highlighting this aspect.
December 2016
On saving forests – ownership brings
responsibility
Raising public awareness and
redefining ownership important for
conserving forests.
Environmentalists at a seminar held
in the federal capital Friday on
“Tackling Global Warming through
Conservation of Forests” said that
the number of trees in private
agriculture farms in Pakistan
December 2016
Bane of agricultural sector
2014 has been one of the worst years
for the agricultural sector in
Pakistan. It witnessed floods,
inundating swathes of croplands,
culminating in a price crash of at
least two major crops, and causing
the loss of billions to the
agricultural sector.
December 2016
Need for a national policy for
combating pests
With the European Union banning
citrus imports from India and
putting Pakistan on the warning list
because of the fruit fly problem.
The Agriculture University,
Faisalabad, has taken up the
gauntlet of preparing a national
policy on pests. The stakeholders
will gather next week at the
university to thrash out its
contours.
December 2016
Focus on green energy
The agriculture sector is set to
benefit immensely from the use of
green energy as a slew of solar,
wind and biomass power projects are
coming up. Promising improved farm
production and cost efficiency.
Several initiatives including
development of 100MW solar power
station in Punjab
December 2016
Challenges in agribusinesses
A Donor-assisted project aiming to
create a competitive and sustainable
agribusiness in the country failed
to take-off due to a lack of
ownership on the part of public
sector agencies as well as their
unfamiliarity with fostering private
sector investment in the sector.
December 2016
Waste and optimality
From being a water-abundant country
some decades back, we are well on
the way to becoming a
water-deficient country. Given the
way we waste and misuse water it
might appear that we have an
abundance of the resource; however,
there are now constraints on its
availability.
December 2016
How to reconcile the conflicting
interests
THE ongoing cane pricing crisis
seems to have exposed everyone
involved in the business. Official
decision-making has become highly
vulnerable to pressure groups — be
it farmers or industrialists. The
industry, fed on low-priced cane for
too long and facilitated by an
elaborate regime of duties and tax
relaxation.
December 2016
The Global Slavery Index & Pakistan
Pakistan is infamous for ranking
high on global indices, which
categorise countries according to
varied criteria, ranging from
pollution, to mother and child
mortality rates, to state failure.
The second edition of the Global
Slavery Index published by an
Australian campaign group, Walk Free
Foundation, this past month.
December 2016
Social side of
food insecurity
Successive governments in Pakistan
have been fond of taking credit for
high agriculture produce, especially
in staple crops like wheat, rice and
sugarcane. But they are usually
clueless about why, then, Pakistan
has very high incidence of food
insecurity.
December 2016
Agricultural Loss
The energy crisis will continue to
be a story throughout the winter. As
if it hasn’t been a thorn in our
side usually as well. The scarcity
of gas only reminds us of the
mismanagement. And lack of
alternative planning on part of the
government. And in the latest series
of damages, the cotton and rice
crops.
December 2016
Roses blossom in Cholistan desert,
at last
The vast Cholistan desert is
situated in south Punjab. It is
mostly sandy land which sprawls over
an area of 6.65 million acres in the
districts of Bahawalnagar,
Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan. Here,
the population is mostly associated
with agriculture and livestock
farming.
December 2016
Dispute over cane support price
THE commencement of the sugarcane
crushing season has been unduly
delayed this year, leaving growers
high and dry. Sindh-based sugar
millers have challenged the
provincial government’s authority to
fix the sugarcane price. So far only
two sugar mills — Matiari and
Sanghar — have started crushing.
December 2016
Food security
and dairy products
Despite the extent of cattle
ownership and milk production, the
production does not fulfil national
demand and Pakistan is constrained
to import milk. According to the UN
World Food Programme (WFP), hunger
in Pakistan is at emergency levels
after years of conflict and natural
calamities.
November 2014
Malnutrition
in land of plenty
Indus valley, now comprising the
mountains, planes and deserts of
Pakistan, has traditionally been
world’s bread basket. The bowl of
the world famous Basmati rice is
located between Ravi and Chenab.
Official forecast put this year’s
paddy production at nearly 10
million tonnes.
November 2014
POL prices to
be lowered further next month
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on
Wednesday announced a further
reduction in the prices of petroleum
products next month which would help
check inflation and provide comfort
to the common man. He vowed that the
government would resolve the energy
crisis as power loadshedding would
be eliminated within three years.
November 2014
World Fisheries Day today:
overfishing, pollution pose serious
threats to Pakistan marine life
Excessive fishing, pollution and
illegal hunting techniques are
posing serious threats to Pakistan's
vulnerable marine life while there
is continuous decline of mangroves.
World Fisheries Day is being
observed today (Friday) as else
where in world on the theme of
'over-fishing
November 2014
Pakistan has
become third largest dates exporter,
with room for growth
Harvest Trading CEO says export of
dates can be raised to $200m from
current $28m with proper processing,
packaging. Pakistan has become the
third largest dates exporting
country in the world and with proper
attention and appropriate
interventions this sector can
flourish manifold.
November 2014
Seed heritage
for sale
The government is about to
facilitate the handing over of our
seed heritage to the foreign
corporate world. In many
agricultural countries, millions of
farmers and peasants have been up in
arms against their governments for
allowing or considering
seed-thieving by foreign investors.
November 2014
Salt Loving Super Plants: Saviors of
the Planet?
Deluge, droughts, rising sea levels,
and shrinking water tables - these
are the things of nightmare for
farmers and agricultural scientists
alike. That's because they know
something that most of us don't
think about: the world's demand for
food is set to increase by
two-thirds by mid-century.
November 2014
Power plants
at mouth of gas fields to produce
1,000MW
The Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Resources has made a strong
case for installation of power
plants at the mouth of gas fields
that will lead to production of
1,000 megawatts of electricity,
reduce outages and add Rs100 billion
to the value of national economy..
November 2014
Nutritional Facts: Health benefits
and medicinal uses of vegetables
In both summer and winter, people
love to eat fruits and vegetables
because of their good taste and
nutrients. In Pakistan, a large
variety of fruits and vegetables is
available, which is also a rich
source of minerals and vitamins and
can be eaten in both forms, cooked &
uncooked.
November 2014
Seedy Business
Throughout history, superpowers that outstayed their welcome eventually turned unscrupulous trying to hang on. The most recent one in the last century directly shaped and manipulated global institutions forcing most countries into submission. Instruments used were the World Bank/IMF.
November 2014
Experts warn Pakistan of acute water
shortages
In an ironic twist to Pakistan's
struggles with extreme weather,
experts warn that the increasingly
frequent and intense flooding in the
country could lead to catastrophic
water shortages.The problem, climate
and water experts say, is a
worsening lack of groundwater.
November 2014
Threats of Untreated Wastewater
Irrigation to Vegetable Crops in
Pakistan
The Pakistan’s population has
increased from 65 to 161 million
over the past 3 decades and is
forecast to increase to 234 million
by 2025. Due to population
explosion, rural development, based
around productivity gains in food
and livestock production, is
important to food security and
crucial to poverty.
November 2014
Child labour in cotton growing districts of Pakistan
Pakistan is a large producer of cotton in the world. Globally, Pakistan produces 9% of the total global cotton production and is considered the fourth largest producer of cotton in the world and the third largest global consumer. However, despite enjoying this status.
October 2014
Karachi has a lot on its plate, but it is still food insecure
In the face of rising population & climate change, one of biggest challenges that nations all over World are facing is food insecurity. The World Food Summit defines food security as: “When all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”.
October 2014
Threat to irrigation system
Nowadays, it is very difficult for small growers to access small quantities of good quality water at the right time, and that is the difference between having ‘a crop or no crop’.While small farmers play a major role in farm economy.
October 2014
Poor farmers vital for overcoming hunger
An estimated one billion people around world do not get enough food to eat. Why such alarmingly wides- pread hunger exists in our modern world is not an easy question to answer.The factors cont- ributing to this glaring hunger problem have to do with which crops are being produced around the world.
October 2014
How to control floods
Floods are now become common in Pakistan. Since 2010, every year we read about floods in one river or another. Floods are mainly due to heavy rainfalls, for they causes the rivers to overflow, inundate the surrounding areas and cause great damage.
October 2014
Poor grain storage infrastructure
About a dozen companies have shown
interest in constructing modern bulk
wheat silos in Sindh on a
public-private partnership basis.
The bids are expected to be
finalised and evaluated, and the
contracts awarded by the year-end,
sources in Sindh’s food department
say.
October 2014
Poor agri yields
Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of
Commerce and Industry President Shah
Faisal Afridi emphasised the need to
increase agricultural yield through
"eco-farming" with the objective of
averting a food crisis. He urged the
farmers to adopt the Chinese
cultivation model which focuses on
hybrid seeds.
September 2014
The climate challenge
The climate change phenomenon, which
the world has been witnessing
lately, is exhibiting unforeseen and
asymmetrical patterns. On the one
hand, plains in Punjab are seriously
impacted under a severe patch of
flooding, while the muzzle of the
Thar Desert is bringing about a
drought-like situation.
September 2014
Incentives and subsidies: An
overview
Most of countries provide various
forms of incentives and subsidies to
their industry to make them
competitive in the global market. A
subsidy is a form of financial or
non financial support extended to an
economic sector or institution, or
business or individual generally
with the aim of promoting economic
and social policy.
September 2014
Punjab (and Kashmir) under water
Once again Pakistan has fallen
victim to the elements, and dozens
have died in rain-related incidents
over the last couple of days. Punjab
and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have in
parts been lashed by rain
continuously for almost two days and
the meteorological department has
cautioned that more is to follow.
September 2014
Impasse mutes
performance
Following the prevailing political
uncertainty in the country, the
Karachi Share market remained
volatile during the last week end on
August 29, 2014.Overall the
benchmark KSE-100 index posted a
decline of 304 points (weak on weak)
to close at 28,568 points end of the
last week.
September 2014
Internal
security biggest threat to democracy
and economy
Years of destruction, caused by
non-state actors, has pushed
Pakistan far off the world’s
business map. Due to its security
concerns, the country remains
relatively isolated as the rest move
on from Pakistani products. While
this should have jolted every
Pakistani into action, not much
happened.
August 2014
Gender in agricultural labour
Enforcement of minimum wage will be
a real problem because the
inspectors in the directorate of
labour will either be reluctant to
visit farms and fields or big
landlords and zamindars will be
reluctant to cooperate with
them.Though agriculture is the
single-largest contributor to the
gross national product.
August 2014
14 August and nation-building
Congratulations on Pakistan
Independence Day – celebrating the
young state and an old culture! It
is a day when all Pakistanis should
feel proud and confident about the
land and the people, the unity and
diversity of the past and the
present, looking forward to a bright
future.
August 2014
Agricultural investment most vital
for economic growth
Agricultural investment is one of
the most important and effective
strategies for economic growth and
poverty reduction in rural areas of
the world where the majority of the
poor live. According to Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of
the United States, gross domestic
product (GDP) growth in agriculture
August 2014
Implementing
ICT solutions for Pakistan's farmers
A huge number of people throughout
South Asia are involved in
agriculture, however many are not
benefiting from it in the ways that
they could. In India for example,
around 35% of its agricultural
produce is wasted due to supply
chain issues. And, whilst nearly
half of Pakistan’s population is
employed in agriculture
June 2014
Outsourcing agricultural extension
services
BECAUSE of the poor performance of
the farm services and their lack of
ability to combat emerging
challenges in agriculture,
privatisation of extension services
is often proposed to improve their
efficiency and effectiveness. But
empirical evidence doesn’t support
this view.
June 2014
Get Agrarian
Land reforms and the imposition of
tax on income derived from
agriculture, which is presently
exempt in the majority of countries
like Pakistan, are two issues that
attract a lot of attention in the
print media, particularly at the
time of budget formulation.
May 2014
Dams vital for food security
Fifty percent population of Pakistan
is malnourished and more than fifty
eight per cent is food insecure,
said Vice Chancellor Islamia
University of Bahawalpur Muhammad
Mukhtar while addressing the
International conference on
Biochemical and Chemical sciences.
May 2014
Whose Waters Are They?
Water provision has become a major
area of intervention by the State in
developing countries over recent
years. The state, worldwide is
considering or tackling reforms in
their organisational, operational
policy making and other
implementation measures over the
governance and management of water
resources.
May 2014
Agriculture is our golden goose;
don’t kill her, my dear
Industrialists
The projection of economic growth as
something evil, that benefits only
the rich, is wrong. Even so, equally
erroneous is taking the GDP number
for a sacrosanct symbol of sure-fire
prosperity for all.Praise is due to
the government’s economic team for
various improvements in the
macro-economy:
May 2014
Mayhem by monoculture
Crop failures are an inevitable part
of agricultural life.Though blame is
often attributed to drought, excess
rains, and other weather
discrepancies, the chosen method of
farming itself is never called into
question.Instead, massive pest
infestation is blamed, along with
other plant diseases.
May 2014
Climate Change in coastal areas of
Pakistan
These days climate change is a
global issue impacting the lives of
millions of people forcing them to
migrate to other areas indicating
that the phenomenon is real & is
bound to affect the rest of those
unaffected by it today. According to
the Global Climate Risk Index 2014.
April 2014
Patents to kill competition
In 1971, Mohan Chakravarty,an
Indian-American,and his employer,
General Electric, applied for the
patenting of a
genetically-engineered “oil-eating”
bacterium. He took genes from three
kinds of bacteria and transplanted
them into a fourth to do whatever he
wanted it to do.
April 2014
Palm oil ends higher
Malaysian palm oil futures ended
higher on Monday after two days of
losses, as investors pinned hopes
for an increase in demand ahead of a
major Muslim festival despite a
surprise drop in exports in the
first 20 days of the month. A weaker
Malaysian ringgit, which fell 0.25
percent to 3.2485 against...
April 2014
Climate change impacts
According to media reports, the
impacts of climate change and global
warming are likely to be severe,
pervasive and irreversible. This has
been warned in a report of the U.N
prepared by scientists and officials
meeting in Japan. Mankind and its
activities are adversely affecting
the planet.
April 2014
Villagers in Pakistan face threat
from rising seawater
The intrusion of the Arabian Sea
into the mouth of the Indus River on
Pakistan's southern coast is eroding
land, forcing whole villages to
relocate inland, and threatening
fishing livelihoods, residents and
environmental experts say.
April 2014
Fighting
hunger — a clarion call
When the government fails to meet
the basic needs of the people, the
havens of terror often appear.
Hunger, poverty and deprivation are
widely debated to be the primary
causes of conflict and viol- ence in
a society. Without ensuring an
individual’s security one can not
guarantee national security.
April 2014
Economy not out of woods yet
Following recent review of the
Pakistan’s economy by the Inter-
national Monetary Fund and the
subsequent release of $505 million
under the Standby Arrangement, the
federal government boosted about
economic performance since it came
to power in mid last year.
April 2014
Agriculture and the budget
Agriculturists don’t feel
comfortable with the new budget.
While it is understandable that
agriculture sector is a devolved
subject but point out that when
government has come up with
allocations for health and education
sectors. Which, too are devolved
ministries, agriculture should have
been given considerable allocations
in some sectors.
April 2014
Agriculture subsidies: Pakistan
versus India
Pakistan is currently contemplating
to grant non-discriminatory nation
status (equivalent to
MFN
status) to India in its bilateral
trade. It is hoped that reciprocal
gestures by India will lead to the
shortening of its
SAFTA
Sensitive List and give access to
Pakistani agricultural and textile
products...
March 2014
Prestige and poverty
While there is no harm in having the
mindset of a 16th century Moghul
emperor in a personal capacity even
in today’s world, the spending
priorities of a
democratically-elected government in
a developing country ought to be
conditioned by the availability of
budgetary resources urgent needs of
the people...
March 2014
Sleepwalking in Sindh
When the Indus breached its
embankment at Tori in 2010, with
water flow at 11,60,000 cusecs under
the Guddu barrage, the resulting
floods devastated lives and
livelihood of millions of people
living in six districts on its right
bank. This in 2012, even though in
1975 – with much less resources..
March 2014
Our Only Way Out
Being an Agriculture country it’s
our foremost duty to improve our
agriculture sector to support the
economy of Pakistan. Without
improving our agricultural sector
it’s impossible to get progress in
our economy because it’s a source of
food, clothes and other raw products
which are our basic needs for
survival of life.
March 2014
Skewed agricultural loans
In a six-step action plan, the State
Bank of Pakistan last week listed
measures that it has decided to take
for improving agricultural
credit.These steps include: creation
of Financial Innovation Challenge
Fund in Rural and Agriculture
Finance, Internship Programme for
100 top agri-graduates.
March 2014
Ramshackle policies and
compromises
Why is Pakistan under siege? If this
siege is to be done away with what
is likely to be the outcome for the
population. Has the political system
any role in mystifying economic
systems? Should the neo liberalism
rule the waves of this country? What
vanguard and what rearguard
policies.
March 2014
Food security and fertiliser policy
The most recent surveys,
however, indicate that Pakistan will face half a million
metric tonnes urea fertiliser shortfall during kharif
(monsoon cultivation) season 2014 due to the curtailment of
natural gas supplies to fertiliser plants.Food security is a
condition related to the ongoing
availability of food.
March 2014
Problematic surplus sugar
Sugar is one of the essential items
whose export needs to be regulated
to keep the prices of the commodity
stable for the domestic consumers.It
is in this context that the sugar
mill owners ’demand for more exports
was rejected by the Economic Coordi-
nation Committee of the cabinet last
month.
March 2014
Need to improve Agri Yields
Pakistan's yield per acre of gram
has dropped by 50 percent: from 5
maunds per acre to 2.5 maunds per
acre, according to Ibrahim Mughal
Chairman of the Agri-Forum Pakistan.
This statistic would surprise no one
in the wake of a 2011 United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organisation.
March 2014
Seedling Production
A seedling is young plant
saprophytes developing out of plant
embryo from a seed up to one metre
of height and the term seedling
production is the production of
seedlings for a certain purpose,
especially plantation. The scope of
seedling production has been brought
by various issues on environmental
protection
March 2014
Environmental degradation in
Pakistan
Due to the limited resources at its
disposal, government efforts alone
are not sufficient enough to address
challenges resulting from climate
change. A much larger participation
and support from other stakeholders
is needed to effectively respond to
climate issues.
March 2014
The water-energy-food nexus of
Pakistan
The federal government has put
energy security at the top of its
development agenda in its Vision
2025. While energy certainly needs
prioritised attention, it should be
integrated with water and food
security of the country. Over the
last few decades, modern
technologies in water...
February 2014
Agricultural crisis in Pakistan
The agriculture sector continues to
be of little interest to
policymakers. In official circles,
there seems to be little effort to
understand the complexities and
challenges facing it. The
performance of agriculture has
repercussions at multiple levels for
the national economy.
February 2014
Low cotton
yield a snag in textile exports
The textile industry is in a
celebratory mood, thanks to the GSP
Plus facility provided by the
European Union. The industry is
convinced it can earn $1 billion
through additional exports to the EU.
February 2014
Rising threat to crops from climate
Farmers in Sindh are suffering the
worst effects of climate change on
their banana, tomato, seasonal
vegetable and fruit crops in the
wake of an unexpected wave of
extreme cold.
February 2014
Pakistan to achieve targets of food
security, economic prosperity
Federal Minister for Planning,
Development and Reforms Prof Ahsan
Iqbal said on Tuesday that we should
operate our agriculture and
livestock sectors at their optimal
levels by introducing on-farm best
management practices and
value-addition techniques.
January 2014
The battle for Pakistan’s
agriculture
The first battle never really took
off even after 66 years - restoring
unduly appropriated land to the
tiller - and a second more destruc-
tive and far-reaching battle is
already upon us. Monoculture killed
three-fourths of global biodiversity
and soils: GM can only hasten
extinction.
December 2013
Pakistan’s potential as a key South
Asian nation
IN the South Asian context, Pakistan
is the second largest country. It is
a pity therefore that while other
nations in the region are achieving
goals of progress and development,
Pakistan is fast becoming a country
that can be likened to a patient
afflicted by multiple diseases.
December 2013
Militancy devastates Pakistani
agriculture
Life for Sanaullah Shah was never as
hard as it has been for the past few
years.I have 100 acres of fertile
land that can grow all sorts of
crops, but the wave of militancy has
turned our field to barren land,"
the 52-year-old South Waziristan
resident told Central Asia Online.
December 2013
Initiating Inclusive Growth
In my academic papers, I have been
arguing that we need inclusive
growth if we are to break out of the
historical pattern of stop-go growth
with inequality. The specific sense
in which the term inclusive growth
has been used in my work is a growth
process.
November 2013
The Global
Agri-Feudals
There’s nothing new about the US
goal of maintaining control over the
world’s food and agriculture, or at
least that of “developing
countries”. It’s been an open secret
since Kissinger’s time who advised
that to control a country you had to
control its food supply.
November 2013
Water, food, energy, economy and us
The number of challenges we face as
a state, nation and country today
are one of the most extreme in our
history. Law and order, security,
economy and energy are the buzzwords
of today. Yet, as the saying goes
prevention is always better than a
cure, we are grossly ill-prepared
for the challenges.
November 2013
Pakistan's mountain farmers
'helpless' in face of erratic
weather
Danyore, Pakistan - One night was
all it took for Bibi Baskiya’s
fortunes to be reversed. In June the
young farmer had sown maize on half
an acre of land in Danyore, a scenic
mountain village in northern
Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan
province. On Sept. 12 it was sunny
and the skies were so clear.
November 2013
Soil
management
Besides storing more carbon and
making more efficient use of
nitrogen, good soil management will
provide economic benefits through
increased productivity, more
efficient use of nutrients, and
improved air and water quality.
Agricultural soils act as efficient
repositories for carbon.
October 2013
Economy
braving heavy odds
Despite all odds, the most notable
on the exchange rate and the energy
fronts, the economy, on balance is
making some progress. Major food
crops look set to do well, cotton
output so far is also down only
seven per cent, large-scale
manufacturing is gathering
more steam.
October 2013
Impacts of law and order situation
on economy
Economy always follows politics and
politics remains the by product of
law and order situation prevails in
a country. If law and order
situation runs smoothly, the
politics play smoothly and there-
fore the stable economy of the
country-universal truth. The law and
order situation arises when there is
insecurity.
October 2013
Agricultural
practices in developing countries
Traditional farming is characterised
by small scale or ‘subsistence
farms’ operated by families who
consume most of the output from the
farm. The word “traditional” means
“to do things the way they have
usually been done”. Hence,
traditional farming is mostly
prevalent in developing countries
with weak.
September 2013
The unbridled
invitations to floods in Pakistan
Governmental departments, officials
and feudal lords maximized the flood
disaster through the policy of
allowing the deforestation in the
northern mountains and then, during
the flood, diverting the floodwaters
in order to save their lands in the
south. Many people ask a simple
question.
September 2013
Agricultural
sector lacks policy direction
FOR farmers, the first federal
budget of the PML-N government came
as a ‘disappointment’. It neither
prioritises the agricultural sector,
nor sets any direction for it, in
areas of common concern to all the
four provinces where national
policies are needed.
July 2013
Pakistan wilts under record heat
wave
Pakistan (Thomson Reuters
Foundation) – Zulekhan Mumtaz has
seen her livelihood as a seller of
camel milk turn sour because of a
brutal heat wave that left Pakistan
sweltering for three weeks in May
with temperatures up to 51 degrees
Celsius.
June 2013
Challenges Faced By Pakistan's
Agriculture Sector
The economy of Pakistan depends
heavily on agriculture. Impor- tance
of this sector is manifold as it
feeds people, provides raw material
for industry and is the base of our
foreign trade. Foreign exchange
earned from merchandise exports is
45% of total exports of Pakistan
June 2013
Jojoba
plantation can bring prosperity in
most poor areas of Pakistan
Pakistan has wast land mass of arid
zones and deserts ,We can use this
area for JOJOBA ( Ponounced -ho-HO-ba)
plantation .As India start jojoba
plantation few years ago now they
are able to export its oil and other
products. To understand its worth.
June 2013
Wheat: some semblance of clarity
obtaining in market
As the provincial food departments
enter the last leg of their
procurement drives, things are
finally gaining some semblance of
clarity in the market. In a
telephonic conversation earlier this
week sources within Punjab Food
Department brought BR Research up to
date with the government's wheat
buying activities, which have been
right on track as planned.
May 2013
Energy Resources: Biogas
Biogas is naturally produced when
any organic matter decomposes under
anaerobic conditions (in the absence
of oxygen). The gas consists mainly
of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide
(CO2) in approximately 3:2 ratio.
Methane is the important component,
as it is a highly flammable gas that
can be utilized as fuel for cooking,
lighting.
May 2013
Food security issues and the
challenges
Food security is in fact much
more than just food production, distribution and
consumption. Food is the top most priority of everybody
since our inception. It gives us energy to grow and live
stronger. Apart from dietary needs, food has a cultural.
April 2013
So Called
Agriculture Country In Food Crisis. WHY?
Pakistan has rich and vast natural resource
base, covering various ecological and climatic zones. About
27 percent of Pakistan’s total land area is under
cultivation. Agriculture accounts 21 percent of GDP and
employs 41 percent of labor force.
April 2013
Climate Change:
One More Problem for Pakistan
The Indus river, originating on the Tibetan
Plateau and flowing for nearly 2,000 miles through the
disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir and finally down to
the province of Sindh and out into the Arabian Sea, is key
to life in Pakistan.
April 2013
World Water Day
The World Water Day: Water is the most
important ingredient for food and agriculture, and most
basic to human life: one can survive for eight to ten days
without food, but without water for not more than two days.
March 2013
Worsening water shortage
The United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development (UNCED) held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in
1992, declared March 22 as the World Water Day.The day is
celebrated to mark the implementation of the UN
recommendations ( Earth Summit Agenda 21)
March 2013
Agriculture: Suicide or
Survival
With a population of over 190 million and
growing, Pakistan is under increasing pressure on many
fronts with food production, the provision of water, power
and the raw materials necessary to keep the indigenous
manufacturing industry up and running.
March 2013
MFN status to
India: Farmers alone in their fight against Indian imports
The Ministry of Finance has expressed its
inability to subsidise the local agricultural sector to make
it competitive with the list of agricultural items that
could be imported from India, which farmers’ lobby say may
destroy the Pakistani agricultural industry after
implementation of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status.
November 2012
Policy risks to
agriculture
If farmers’ fears are to go by, the new year
might not be any different for agriculture from the last one. They
think that this year too, the terms of trade would be unfavourable
for them, international recession would keep commodity prices down
and an ever-expanding domestic tax regime would keep the cost of
production high.
November 2012
Grappling with devolved
responsibility
The devolved functions of the federal
agriculture ministry have increased the responsibilities of the
provinces and they are trying to come to grips with their cash and
capacity constraints.
October 2012
Threat to basmati rice
export
The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan
announced crossing $2 billion mark in foreign sales. Its officials
listed the seasonal problems that confronted the association and the
efforts it made to defeat them to reach the benchmark.
July 2012
Threat to basmati rice
export
The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan
announced crossing $2 billion mark in foreign sales. Its officials
listed the seasonal problems that confronted the association and the
efforts it made to defeat them to reach the benchmark.
July 2012
Inflated agriculture
budget
THE Punjab’s agriculture budget has turned
out to be the way, it should not have been — a pack of
contradictions, which are too glaring to be missed by even a naive
farmer..
June 2012
Agriculture sector lacks
efficiency, competitiveness
Despite immense potential, the agricultural
sector of Pakistan lacks efficiency and global competitiveness,
former CEO of Engro Corporation and current member of Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf Asad Umar said on Wednesday. The loss of efficiency
is denting the country’s self sufficiency in production of various
farm goods, he asserted.
May 2012
US to help develop
agricultural sector
India will not allow additional cotton
exports for the current year ending in September as of now, Trade
Minister Anand Sharma said on Monday.
May 2012
Rains delay wheat
harvest
Heavy rains throughout April in Punjab have
prevented farmers from harvesting wheat and have damaged the
standing crop in some parts, sparking fears of heavy losses.
May 2012
India won’t
allow extra cotton exports for now: trade minister
Heavy rains throughout April in Punjab have
prevented farmers from harvesting wheat and have damaged the
standing crop in some parts, sparking fears of heavy losses.
April 2012
Livestock
smuggling makes meat dearer
The National Price Monitoring Committee has
taken serious note of increase in beef and mutton prices and
called for measures to control smuggling of livestock to
neighbouring countries.
March 2012
Second quarter report:
Agriculture sector props up economy: SBP
The economy has shown modest improvements in
first six months (July-December) of fiscal year 2011-12 because of
better performance of the agricultural sector while the services
sector, including retail activities and banks, has also recorded
growth, says the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in its second-quarter
report on the state of economy.
March 2012
Booming sales Tractor
industry flourishing
Tractor industry recorded booming production
and sales in February 2012 while heavy vehicle segment continued to
face laggard sales. Pick-ups, two- and three-wheeler sales also
posted positive growth.
March 2012
Agri, wealth taxes can
fulfil budget needs
The revenue collection through wealth tax
had reached over Rs40 billion 10 years ago when it was suspended by
Musharraf regime to protect elite class. If this tax is reimposed,
the FBR can collect over Rs 1.5 trillion, said Federal Revenue
Alliance Employees Union central president Mian Abdul Qayyum.
March 2012
Sugar price may further
increase
Price of sugar is likely to show further
increase on account of fear of lower production in the country as
compared with earlier estimates and putting Indian sugar on the
negative list with the approval of the federal cabinet.
March 2012
GST collection surges
38pc
The surge in imports helped tax officials in
collecting 38 per cent more general sales tax from 10 major revenue
spinners in the first seven months of this fiscal year over the
corresponding period last year.
March 2012
Lacklustre conditions on
cotton market
Cotton market on Saturday lacked normal
trading interest as ginners and spinners remained locked in price
war owing to unsettled conditions on the major world trading centres.
February 2012
Rice, sugar,
pulses hit new peak
As wholesale prices of pulses, rice and
sugar have touched a new peak, consumers may witness another
price-hike if government further increases petroleum prices
on March 1.
February 2012
Use of banned dyes may
jeopardise textile exports
Exporters fear that the discrete use of
restricted Azo dyes in the textile and leather products could
jeopardise the improved prospects of textiles export to European
Union countries.
February 2012
KP to expedite Chashma
irrigation project
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has prepared a strategy
to manage an early implementation of the vital Chashma right bank
canal lift-cum-gravity scheme, official sources said.
February 2012
Ill-conceived gas load
plan hurts agriculture
Local fertiliser manufacturing plants have
been forced to shut down for over six months last year, causing
shortage of this key input and subsequent price hike by whooping 141
per cent in just two years, claim the representatives of the
industry.
February 2012
Urea, DAP much costlier
in Pakistan
The Pakistani farmers are paying more for
fertilizers in the region as prices of urea and DAP are much higher
in the country compared to the prices of neighbouring countries
including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and also
against international market.
January 2012
Debate on imported Bt
cotton seed
The farming community of southern Punjab
gave a mixed reaction to a Punjab government’s decision to drop a
proposal of introducing certified imported seed of Bt cotton in
collaboration with Monsanto.
January 2012
Pakistan to challenge UN
decision in world court
Pakistan has decided to challenge in the
international court of arbitration a decision of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to grant carbon credits to
India on a controversial hydropower project without mandatory
clearance of its trans-boundary environmental impact assessment.
January 2012
Rs 225b payment to cane
growers on stake
The payment of Rs 225 billion to the
sugarcane growers by the millers is now on stake, as the federal
government is neither purchasing the surplus sugar stock nor it is
allowing the manufacturers to export it, enabling them to make
in-time payment to the farmers.
December 2011
Raw sugar premiums slip;
rising supply weighs
Thai raw sugar premiums for prompt delivery
ticked lower on Tuesday and are likely to fall further next week as
supplies rise, not only in Asia but elsewhere in the world, dealers
said on Tuesday.
December 2011
Now It’s official that
Bt.cotton failed 12 million hectors in India
As per recent admission of Dr C.D. Mayee,
President of Indian Society for Cotton Improvement who was
instrumental in giving blanket permission for commercial trials of
genetically modified (GM) Bt.cotton seed notoriously known as killer
seed in part of cotton growing region of India...
December 2011
Power bills with hefty
arrears upset govt, farmers
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and
farmers have accumulated over Rs400 million arrears as the Peshawar
Electric Supply Company (Pesco) charged their tubewells less tariff
over the last few years than the one approved in February 2007.
November 2011
Textile exports fall
14pc
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s textile and clothing
exports witnessed a decline of 14 per cent in October this year over
the same month last year, sending fears to policy-makers that
shrinking export proceeds in the sector may result in layoffs.
November 2011
Defunct development of
Pakistan
Pakistan's development process is
non-performing. It is non-performing as it has taken on policy
situations which were both obsolete and time had overtaken these or
these were the outcome of some hybrid policies brought in by
expatriates that had lobbied through such international agencies as
the WB/IMF and or the ADB.
November 2011
Proposed MFN status to
India: Ginners express reservation
The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA)
leadership expressed its reservations on granting the status of
'most favoured nation' to India, describing it detrimental to
Pakistan's cotton growers and ginners and said that the Parliament
should reject this decision of the Cabinet because it would ruin the
industry.
November 2011
Hard times for cane
growers
A SIGNIFICANT drop in sugarcane sowing is
feared this season as vast cane-producing areas remain inundated in
rainwater.
October 2011
Improving supply chain
for farm products
ULTIMATELY, there is some good news for
farmers as Punjab wakes up to its agriculture export potential and
to sensitivities of international buyers.
October 2011
Sowing of Rabi crop
delayed
THE ‘early Rabi crop’ season has started
while the rainwater in inundated fields in Dadu district has not
been drained out, keeping the growers worried about when and how to
cultivate wheat, vegetables and other seasonable crops.
October 2011
Setting price
for new tobacco crop
THE Pakistan Tobacco Board has initiated
consultations with farmers to determine the cost of tobacco
production and its procurement prices for the upcoming year.
October 2011
Cotton prices rise by
Rs100
Trading on the cotton market on Monday
resumed on a firm note as prices were quoted further higher by Rs100
per maund in the ready section.
October 2011
Sliding cotton prices
The cotton prices need some kind of support
to stabilise. With the momentum in crop arrival in the market, its
price, following the international trend, has started sliding.
Aug 2011
Surge in edible oil
imports
THE consumption of palm oil increased 14 per
cent to over 1.9 million tonnes during July-June 2010-11, pushing up
its import bill by 53 per cent to $2 billion.
Aug 2011
Gas
loadshedding, rising urea prices
THE urea crisis, which has gripped the
country since November, is fast assuming a disastrous
proportion, mainly due to the federal government’s quiet
reversal of the national policy for allocation of ga.
Aug 2011
Improving farm
extension services
A highly minute per cent of farmers in
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa use modern technology when it comes to
agriculture. ONLY about 20 per cent of farmers in Khyber
Pukhtunkhwa use modern technology in agriculture.
Aug 2011
Growing Water Deficit
Threatening Grain Harvests
Many countries are facing dangerous water
shortages. As world demand for food has soared, millions of farmers
have drilled too many irrigation wells in efforts to expand their
harvests. As a result, water tables are falling and wells are going
dry in some 20 countries containing half the world's people.
July 2011
Self-assessment
for farm income tax
THE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is working
on a scheme to introduce a self-assessment for agriculture
income taxpayers to widen the tax base and improve
provincial revenue.
July 2011
The increasing
food prices
THE latest UN warning that the world food
prices, including cereals, are inching towards a new record
must be a cause of concern for Pakistan, where millions are
surviving on the edge and cannot afford further financial
burden.
July 2011
Pause in oil
palm plantation
THE fate of oil palm plantation project in
the coastal areas of Sindh has become uncertain in the
backdrop of conflicting views of the provincial government
officials over the status of Pakistan Oilseed Development
Board after its devolution.
July 2011
Sindh’s depleting fish
resource
Fish experts also complain that rapidly
declining mangroves in the coastal areas is another cause of fall in
fish production.
July 2011
Snags in
commercialisation of livestock sector
THE livestock sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
despite having great potential for poverty alleviation, has
not developed on commercial lines because of paucity of
funds, capacity and technology constraints.
July 2011
Depressed onion
prices in Swat
THE onion farmers in Swat are not getting
reasonable returns for their crop due to absence of a modern
market system in the province. Despite a bumper onion crop
this year, they have not fully benefited from the harvest.
July 2011
Trial shipment
of mango to Europe
THE first-ever trial shipment of mango for
high-end super markets of Europe dispatched directly from
two orchards in Sindh is indeed a pioneering effort. Eight
such shipments are taking place from all over the country.
July 2011
Credit-starved farm and
agro industries
THE government should focus on development
of agro industries in the rural areas for boosting export of
processed food products, says the president of the Islamabad Chamber
of Commerce and Industry.
July 2011
Punjab’s sinking
farm economy
Agriculture in Punjab has underperformed
over the last three years. Cotton production has fallen 10
per cent, rice 6.7, gram 30 and pulses by 24 per cent.
July 2011
Paddy growers’
worries
PREPARATIONS for rice cultivation in Sindh
are underway amidst fears that flood-ravaged canal network —
recently repaired by the irrigation authorities — will not
be able to carry water to their farms.
July 2011
Taxes on farm inputs
pinch small growers
THE levy of general sales tax and withdrawal
of subsidies as part of next year`s budget has not gone down well
with farmers.
June 2011
Trials of
genetically modified corn
AFTER nearly succeeding in the case of Bt
cotton, the US multinational Monsanto is now lobbying for
introduction of genetically modified corn in Pakistan and
has convinced the government to have field trials of its
crop.
June 2011
Food security
risks in devolution
PAKISTAN may soon be the only country that
would not have any federal agency to deal with food security
issues, unlike other states in the world.
June 2011
Status quo approach in
agri development
IF the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz wants
self-reliance, doing away with foreign aid and loans, it is natural
for everyone to expect its next budget in Punjab — where the party
rules — to reflect that commitment.
June 2011
Kharif sowing
hit by water shortage
KHARIF crops sowing in lower Sindh region,
mainly fed by Nara canal system, may be hit by water
shortage, while growers’ complaints also abound in different
areas of Sukkur barrage. The shortage has forced growers to
come out on roads.
June 2011
Livestock through
Islamic Microfinance
According to the observation, mostly, at
Islamic Microfinance Sector level, it is being practiced with the
conventional structures. If there is any will to do can feel for
Islamic Microfinance, the lake of proper systems and unavailability
of skilled staff are the hurdles.
May 2011
Time to tax farm
incomes
THE call for effectively taxing big farm
incomes has gathered momentum in the recent years as the
country strives to close the widening gap between its
falling revenues and growing expenditure.
May 2011
Need to set
minimum rice export price
RICE export figures for the first 10 months
of the current fiscal year do not appear as impressive when
seen in the context of higher international price as
compared to last year.
May 2011
Middlemen`s
intrusion in wheat procurement
WHEAT procurement drive is in full swing in
Sindh. A visit to most of the procurement centres, set up by
the government at accessible locations to facilitate grower,
shows that premises are now abuzz with business activity.
May 2011
Falling wheat prices in the market
CONFLICTING reports about political crisis and falling prices of wheat dominated trading on the Karachi wholesale commodity markets during the preceding week and according to some dealers, this also affected the activity on some other counters.
May 2011
Monitoring the seed market
THE need to bring some regulation in cotton seed market seems to be increasing by the day. The chaos that rules the market surfaced in a recent meeting of the Expert Committee on Cotton of the Punjab government, which noted that some 41 traditional seed varieties, some of them of questionable quality, provide business to over 600 companies.
May 2011
Policy risks to
cotton crop
THE second, and indefinite, postponement of
the meeting of Federal Committee on Agriculture in the last
week of April leaves many bewildered, especially when it
comes to the planning for cotton crop.
May 2011
Snags in
boosting date exports
DATE producers expect a fairly good crop in
Sindh this season, but fear post-harvest losses because of
lack of proper drying, processing and storage facilities.
May 2011
Improving
farmer-govt nexus
THE next year`s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa budget
will mount efforts to facilitate farmers hit by floods and
militancy to revive and develop the agricultural economy.
May 2011
Dip in wheat
prices
WHEAT harvesting is gaining momentum in
Punjab, espec- ially in the southern part. According to
official estimates, nearly 40 per cent of harvesting in
these areas has been completed.
Mayl 2011
Difficult access
to certified seeds
KHARIF season has started in lower Sindh and
cotton sowing is under way in the left bank areas wherever
wheat has been harvested. Upper Sindh growers on the right
bank of Indus, who mostly grow rice.
May 2011
Ensuring fair
price for farm produce
“RATHER than bringing my tomatoes to this
far away market to sell it at a price which even cannot
cover the transportation expenses, I better destroy the crop
in the field,” said a farmer who had brought the commodity
from Sindh to the vegetable market in Mardan.
April
2011
Linking growers
with corporate buyers
At the closing of last year’s procurement,
the Food Department stocked a quantity of 6.6 million metric
ton (MMT) of wheat in July, 2010.
April 2011
Nation’s food
security at risk?
Food and other essentials for the local
consumer first. ILLUSTRATION: S.JAMAL. While the country is
going through its biggest financial crises led by cost push
inflation our business indices reflect that the country is
doing better than last years in all its sectors.
April 2011
Export operation
2010-11 by Punjab Food Department
At the closing of last year’s procurement,
the Food Department stocked a quantity of 6.6 million metric
ton (MMT) of wheat in July, 2010.
April 2011
Kick starting
Diamer-Bhasha project
THE ground-breaking ceremony of
Diamer-Bhasha project is scheduled for next month while a
sum of Rs15 billion has been earmarked this year to finance
dam`s pre-construction related activities.
April 2011
Off-channel
reservoirs for flood control
A NEW flood season is on hand but the
country is not yet out of the disastrous impacts of floods
of 2010. With the ongoing climatic changes and the poor
record of flood protection measures, such a calamity may
become a norm instead of an occasional happening.
April 2011
Food security
concerns
THE food prices index around the world has
surged to a new height compelling a few countries of North
Africa and the Middle East to store wheat and rice in bulk.
April 2011
Mango crop
outlook
THE weather condition does not seem
favourable for mango production in Sindh this season as
reports indicate that proper fruit flowering and setting has
not taken place yet.
April 2011
Punjab’s wheat
procurement drive
AGAINST all earlier fears, signs for a
smooth drive for wheat procurement are emerging in Punjab,
and emerging fast.
April 2011
Surplus food,
not to eat
ACCOUNTING for more than a 40 per cent share
in the consumer price index, the higher food prices have
driven the overall inflation for quite some time to the
detriment of the people despite a tight monetary policy.
March 2011
Sindh facing
paddy seed shortage
FEARS are being expressed that availability
of quality paddy seed will be a problem for rice producers
in the upper Sindh region in the coming kharif season.
During last year’s devastating floods rice growers not only
lost their paddy crop but also the quality local seed which
they had stored for the next season.
March 2011
Costly food,
supply concerns prompt Asian grains buying
Asian buyers are snapping up more rice and
cheap Australian wheat to boost food and feedstock security
in the face of record high prices that policymakers fear
could stoke popular discontent and damage their economies.
Feb 2011
0.320m animals exported
The Senate was informed on Friday that as
many as 3,20,489 animals were exported to different
countries under the commercial export of live animals
through open policy since May, 2009.
Feb 2011
Agriculture and Technology
Belated decision on wheat export
TAFTER months of foot dragging on the issue,
the federal government finally this week allowed export of
one million tons of wheat and its products.
Feb 2011
Agriculture and Technology
Belated decision on wheat export
TAFTER months of foot dragging on the issue,
the federal government finally this week allowed export of
one million tons of wheat and its products.
Jan 2011
Cotton production crosses 12mn bales
Besides sporadic use of BT cotton seeds this season, the
crop remained free from all diseases and no worth mentioning
pest attack was reported from Sindh and the Punjab, said
cotton analysts.
December
2010
Grain storages for food
security
IN the absence of planning for maximisation
of crops and low spending of allocated funds for
construction of modern storage facilities, Sindh faces a
threat of becoming a food insecure province.
November
2009
Pricing of sugarcane and
sugar
THE Agricultural Prices Commission (APCom)
set up in 1981, was required to advice the government on the
support price of about half a dozen important crops like
wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane and oilseeds. In doing so,
the APCom had to consider about 15 different criteria.
November
2009
Flawed cane policy
THE Sindh government has again fixed
November 1 for mills to start sugarcane crushing that will
delay cane harvesting and wheat sowing.
October
2010
Cotton growers seek early
release of water
Pakistan can obtain at least one million
additional bales of cotton if government releases water in
perennial canals during the current month, according to
Pakistan Cotton Forum (PCF), a joint platform of growers,
ginners and spinners.
October
2010
Wheat sowing may be delayed
in Punjab
AS Punjab is focused on the cotton crop, and
justifiably so, wheat sowing in the province might get
delayed beyond prudent limits.
September
2010
Reviving KP?s agriculture
REHABILITATION of farmers and revival of
agriculture in the post-flood Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is likely
to be handicapped for want of enough funds. The
cash-strapped provincial government has neither received any
support from the centre nor has the international community
provided the required fund for the purpose.
Aug
2010
Sugar crisis brewing
The consequences of the shortage are
predicted to be harsh for both consumers and the government.
Soon we will find consumers either paying very high prices
for the sweetener or waiting for hours in long queues to buy
it in small quantities at subsidised rates.
July
2010
Problematic surplus wheat
A three-member committee of senior officials
has been assigned the task of drawing up a strategy to
utilise surplus wheat in the light of proposals received
from different stakeholders.
July
2010
Unaffordable fertiliser prices
THE prices of fertiliser have gone up in the market with the
arrival of Kharif season in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Growers
say that surge in prices of fertiliser, an important input
in farm production, has become unaffordable for small
cultivators.
June
2010
Managing timely export
PAKISTAN has become self-sufficient in wheat and is able to
export two million tons of the commodity. But the decision
to export from the existing stock has come at a time when
firm estimates about the size of current crop is yet to be
available and the official procurement drive to gain
momentum. It does not seem to be appropriate.
April
2010
Tractors’ sales surge to 26,816 units
About 200 vendors of the tractor manufacturing industry have
inducted 15-20 per cent new hands since June to meet the
surging production and sales of tractors and the robust
future demand.
December
2009
 Village
agricultural centre
FARM production can be increased by 80-100 per cent if
improved seeds, fertilisers, farm machinery, insecticides
and herbicides are available to farmers at reasonable price
together with interest-free loans in time.The price of
diesel and electricity rates may also be cut for
agricultural use..
December
2009
Sluggish pace of wheat sowing
ACCORDING to the official figures compiled
on November 7, the pace of wheat sowing this season in
Punjab is slower than last year in rain-fed areas. By that
date, the province had sown only 1.2 million acres – out of
which some 400,000 acres came from barani (rain-fed) areas.
November
2009
Fish exports up 21pc in value
during 9 months
Pakistan Seafood Industries Association says exports to
Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand have virtually
nullified the negative impact of EU ban. - Reuters photo
KARACHI: Fish exports increased by 21 per cent in value
during the nine months.
November
2009
Sunflower seeds give best nutritional quality
SUNFLOWER seeds are power-packed with
healthy fats, protein, fibre, minerals, vitamin E, and
phytochemicals - all important to the nutritional quality of
diet. While the vibrant, strong sunflower is a recognised
worldwide for its beauty, it is also an important source of
food.
November
2009
How a Biofuel 'Miracle' Ruined Kenyan Farmers
Everyone in Kibwezi, a village in southeastern Kenya parched
by four years of drought, remembers the promises. It all
started in 2000, when the government started preaching the
word about a plant called jatropha curcas.
October 2009
South Asia frets over high food prices
Ambika Biswas looks at her grocery bag and winces. She is
buying food for her family in one of New Delhi's cheapest
markets — yet her grocery costs are far higher than last
year.
September
2009
No land leased to Saudi Arabia yet: Waqar
Minister for Investment, Senator Waqar Ahmed Khan Monday said
Pakistan had not given land to Saudi Arabia or any other
country, however, the Gulf states were keen to acquire land
in the sub-continent for agriculture purposes due to growing
fear of food scarcity.
September
2009
Adequate supplies of sugar available: TCP
The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has sufficient sugar
stocks to meet Ramazan demand and has already issued orders
for release of 50,000 tons of sugar to Utility Stores
Corporation from its total stocks of 166,000 tons lying with
different mills throughout the country.
August
2009
Lower targets for cash crops
ARGETS for two cash crops - cotton and rice - have been fixed
at lessthan what the country achieved last year, leave alone
bumper andrecord yields of the past.This year, cotton target
has come down to 13.3 million bales againstlast season’s
production of 14.1 million bales.
July 2009
Kharif crops ? growers await support prices
NO support price for rice crop has been announced while the
Kharif season has entered its third month. I have planted
rice seedlings on just 20 out of my 45 acres. I am
indecisive whether or not to cultivate more rice this
season,? says Muhammad Arif Mahar, a rice grower in
Wazirabad, a village in Shikarpur district.
July 2009
Water shortage hurts
Pakistan’s rice exports
Pakistan exported about 2.9 million tonnes of rice in the
2008/09 financial year, down from 3.3 million tonnes the
previous year, and a possible water shortage has raised
concern for the new crop, an industry official said on
Wednesday.
July 2009
Sindh files complaint against
fertiliser firms
It has been stated in the complaint that at least two leading
fertiliser companies in Sindh pressurise buyers to purchase
a bag of DAP for four bags of urea.
June 2009
Vegetable and fruit exports
up in 11 months
Fruit and vegetable exports during July-May 2008-09, increased
by 6.55 per cent and 26.63 per cent, respectively.
June 2009
Damage to peach crop in Swat
likely
Thousands of tons of peach crop is feared to be wasted in the
Malakand division this season again as mass exodus of people
continues from the area after the launch of military
operation ‘Rah-i-Haq-II’ for flashing out Taliban.
May 2009
Storage issues may hit wheat
procurement
INADEQUATE grain storage capacity in the public sector
departments can cost the country greatly as a major chunk of
the procured wheat will be kept in the open or it will be at
the mercy of private warehouses.
May 2009
Small growers at the mercy of
middlemen
MIDDLEMEN are individuals/business concerns who perform
various marketing functions involved in the purchase and
sale of goods as these move from producers to consumers.
April 2009
Bt cotton in butcher’s hand
Agricultural use of genetically modified (GM) crops across the
world has increased almost seventy fold in the past ten
years and is set to double by 2015, says a study released by
The International Service for the Acquisition.
April 2009
•
As more genetically modified foods reach the U.S.
more issues
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