Sindh to introduce agriculture policy

KARACHI: Sindh government will soon to unveil agriculture policy to protect interests of growers as well as exporters, the provincial agriculture minister said on Wednesday.

Sohail Anwar Siyal, provincial minister for agriculture and home said the policy has already been formulated in the wake of rising problems faced by growers of various crops. Siyal criticised the government for not paying attention on agriculture imports and exports.

“Finance Minister (on leave) Ishaq Dar is heading a committee which reviews imports and exports in consultation with provincial governments in every three months,” he said, addressing the members of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

“But, since March Pakistan’s export and import policy is based on ad-hocism as there has no meeting of the committee in the past 10 months.” Farmers were protesting against the sugarcane rate set by the provincial government.

On November 29, the provincial Sugarcane Control Board, after a month-long delay, fixed the official procurement price of sugarcane and announced commencing the crushing season. The price at which the crop will be made available to buyers was fixed at Rs182 per 40kg (maund).

The provincial minister said in October sugar millers approached the federal government to allow export of the commodity. “But the federal government refused despite the fact the country has sufficient stock of the commodity.”

However, the government allowed export of 1.5 million tons of sugar with a subsidy of Rs10.70/kilogram last month. Provincial minister said the federal government placed a ban on onion exports. “I sent a request to the federal government to lift ban on export but it was also rejected.”

Siyal said exports of surplus stock of various crops should be allowed to facilitate growers. On law and order, he said there is never an ideal situation, but things have been improved over the last four years.

“Business community is the backbone of the country’s economy and resolution of their problems is priority of the provincial government.” Earlier, KCCI President Muffasir Ata Malik said street crime is rising again in the city. “More efforts are needed to maintain law and order situation,” he added.