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PCPA seeks pesticide policy
LAHORE (April 14 2004): Pakistan Crop Protection
Association (PCPA) has demanded of the government
to announce a comprehensive pesticide policy for
safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders of
the pesticide sector.
While talking to newsmen at Pak-China Chemicals
around 30-km away from here on Tuesday PCPA
President Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry said it was
unfortunate that no pesticide policy was announced
since the creation of the country.
In a bid to safeguard the interests of
multinational companies, manufacturing of
pesticides in the country was discouraged in the
past.
In order to attract investment in pesticide
sector, he demanded at least 20 percent protection
to those investors who intends to manufacture
pesticide within the country.
He was of the view that the government must not
focus on import of pesticide, to ensure
availability of pesticides in the country.
He demanded that local formulation industry of
pesticide sector must also be given 5% protection.
In order to check adulteration or use of
sub-standard and expired pesticides, local
pesticide industry must be encouraged. He also
demanded that import duty on spray machines must
be reduced from 20% to 5%.
In various countries of the world, subsidy is
being extended for making the agriculture inputs
affordable for the farmers but in Pakistan
imposition of General Sales Tax has increased the
prices of pesticides to 25%.
He said that strict measures must be adopted to
check menace of adulteration in pesticide.
He was of the view that public and private sectors
must join hands to educate the farmers regarding
judicious use of pesticides.
Javaid Qureshi, Director Marketing, Ali Akbar
Group of companies, said on the occasion that the
government must make public results of samples of
pesticides collected in the year 2003.
He claimed that not a single company in Pakistan
is producing spraying machines of international
standards. He said that government must also
provide protection to the new manufacturers of
spraying machines.
Earlier, Dr Khalid Hamid, Business Manager and
Asif Lone, Plant Manager of Pak-China Chemicals
apprised the newsmen about various sections of the
factory.
Courtesy Business Recorder
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Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
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