|
PCPA its
role in Pesticides
Muhammad Irfan
Majority generic companies have been providing standard
pesticides on low rates compared to multinational companies
operating across the country since the induction of Genetic
Scheme by the government The generic companies who have
established Pakistan Crop Protection Association in 1994,
deeply committed in providing standard pesticides in the
market, creating awareness among the farmers through their
technical field staff having qualification from Agri. graduate
to Ph. D in agriculture for adopting them modern technology
including safe use of pesticides for obtaining higher yield
for growing population. Consumption of pesticides has been
increased considerable. Huge foreign exchange is being spent
for its import to meet the requirement and not a single
molecule of pesticide is manufacture in th ecountry.
 The
multinational companies have not taken any effort or interest
in basic manufacturing of pesticide in Pakistan in spite of
the Govt. direction in this regard. Without chemical control
of insect pests and disease, even average yield per acre of
the crop can not be cbtained. Therefore efforts are to be made
to meet the requirement of Food & Fibre of the population.
There are nearly 70 member companies of the association and
election are held after every two years. At presnt Mr. Ejaz
Chaudhary, Chief Executive of KIsan Care (Pvt) Limited, Lahore
and Mr. Masud Alam Khan, Chief Executive of Roots
International, Multan are the Chairman and General Secretary
respectively.
In reply to a question Ijaz Ahmed Chaudary, Chairman of
Pakistan Crop Protection Association and Chief Executive of
Kissan Care said that PCPA had already launched a move and
urged the Govt. to grant incentives for the basic
manufacturing, local formulation of the pesticides in the
country and duty protection on th eimport of plant protection
spraying machines. Currently the Government has given a relief
package for the local formulation of pesticide only and on
import of the plant protection spraying machines. There is a
still urgent necessity for th eGovernment to take such steps
to attract the investors for the establishment of basic
manufacturing of the common pesticides used in the country
otherwise we will remain dependence of th Total Import and
unable to compete in the world trade.
He further added that there is no policy for pesticide sector
in the history of Pakistan. There must be a pesticide policy
for all companies involved in this sector, right from the
labour work to the end of the top management. PCPA is trying
his best level for the establishment of a Policy particulalry
for this sector, he added more. He told us that the policy
must be conducive, top priorities to local companies, GST
removal form this sector (15 % currently), subsidies should be
there.
While answering to a question he pointed out that 10
Agriculture graduates are must for each company and these
agriculture professional not only provide the pesticides to
the local growers but also gave them sugestions and a little
trainig too for the proper use and time, to get the maximum
advantage of any of these pesticides. He told us that only by
the proper use of pesticides we can increase our production up
to 15 - 30 %, that will automatically make us self sufficient
and we can also export our produce too.
Mr. Ijaz chaudhary said that Agriculture have a bright future,
the need is just for proper management and basic information
network establishment. There should be a TV channel with 24
hours transmation and it should be in local languages so, the
farming community get better advantage of its. At Union
Counsil level there must be training centers for growers where
they get the latest information regarding agriculture
alongwith how & when to prepare the Soil with latest
technologies, from where he can get the improve variet seed,
what is the right time for spray and how to handle the spray
machine, in short the proper timings of all inputs right from
preparation of soil to the harvest and post harvest
technologies, he added further.
Highlighting WTO, Ijaz Ch. told us that he is in favour of WTO
because it will definately enhance the productivity. Why we
fear from WTO, if we just improve our products quality then we
can easily compete with the international growers. WTO will
definately decrease the SUBSIDIES artio world wide and its
direct benefits will be our farmers too as here subsidies rate
is already too low so by this way to we can easily compete
with them. We had already been achieved the self sufficiency
level, the need of the time is just to prepare our self for
WTO he added.
While talking on the Cyber Net, he told us that we are almost
50 years back from the developed nations. On the same time he
praised the efforts of PAKISSAN.COM and its work in the field
of Agriculture. He added that the future is e-Media. Cell
phone will be every thing and no need of wire and you will be
conected with the whole world with one touch. PAkissan will
get its fruit with in next 3-5 years, he added further.
|
Pakissan.com;
|
