Country’s wheat demand reaches 25 million tons

ISLAMABAD: Minister for national food security and research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan Thursday informed the Senate that during the last year the demand of wheat in the country was 25 million tons against the production of 25.63 million tons.

During the question hour in the Upper House, the minister said the government increased regulatory duty on the import of wheat from 10 to 60 percent during the last three years to discourage wheat import because wheat price is lower in some countries.

To another question, he said that livestock wing with its redefined role under the 18th Constitutional amendment took several measures at the national level to protect livestock from various diseases.

The minister said strengthened livestock disease diagnostic laboratories, Veterinary Research Institutes (VRIs), and field hospitals of provincial livestock departments reduce economic losses in livestock. He said the organisations were providing diagnosis treatment and vaccination services to livestock farmers.

Provincial livestock departments have established a consultation helpline for the farmers on animal health issues. Bosan said a Bio Safety three level laboratory was established at the National Reference Laboratory for Poultry Diseases (NRLPD), which is an entity within the Animal Science Institute at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad. The lab provided diagnostic services for various poultry diseases.

He said keeping in view the seasonal incidence of diseases prophylactic vaccination schedules have been developed to control endemic livestock diseases such as Hemorrhagic Septicemia, Foot and Mouth, PPR, Ranikhet, and Gumboro, etc.

The minister said the vaccination campaigns were launched from time to time for the awareness of the farmers to protect livestock from diseases. He said facilities and capacities developed under various national projects helped control and eradicate Rinderpest disease and Bird flu.

Pakistan got rid of bird flu in June 2008 and Rinderpest in May 2007, and was maintaining these statuses till date. Moreover, Pakistan has achieved FMD Progressive Control Pathway (PCP) Stage 2 out of EU FMD 5 staged pathway, he added.

Minister for ports and shipping Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo informed the Senate that Rs9 billion were allocated for 12 Public Sector Development Programme projects of the Ministry during the last year.

The minister said out of these, Rs8 billion had been utilised, while the remaining amount was surrendered to the Finance Division. To another question he said there was no proposal under consideration for issuance of 100 licenses to various foreign fishing vessels for fishing in Pakistani territorial waters.