Weak backbone

According to some media reports, wheat and sugar consumers in the country have to pay far higher prices for domestically-produced wheat and sugar because the rates of these two commodities are much higher compared to those offered at the international market. It is surprising that the country that has been producing surplus wheat for so many years now couldn’t sell the commodity at affordable rates. It is piling up stock as this wheat cannot be exported without a subsidy. Theoretically, wheat prices could be cut by half if we could double our yield through better management practices that require hard work and prudent interventions.

The case of sugar is far more alarming. The sugarcane crop is water-intensive and consumes double the water than the cotton crop whose cultivated area is shrinking because of the sowing of sugarcane. In view of the above, it can be suggested that the use of the best farming practices could make all the difference. The fields should be laser levelled and all weeds should be plucked out manually if proper herbicides are not available. This will result in the cultivation of more crops that can be sold in the domestic market at affordable rates.

Khan Faraz

Peshawar