Agri-Forum Pakistan has urged the government to ensure construction of Kalabagh and other dams and realise the importance of water for agriculture sector which is backbone of the national economy.
The Forum Chairman, Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal, also asked the government to start construction of Kalabagh dam immediately and allocate funds for it in the forthcoming budget.
In its proposals for the budget 2007-08, the forum demanded that diesel for agriculture sector be given at Rs 25 per litre besides ensuring access of farmers to DAP fertilisers and Urea fertiliser at the rate of Rs 850 and 450 per bag respectively.
Price of electricity for agriculture sector should be fixed at Rs 2 per unit. Service charges on agricultural loans should be brought down to 8-10 percent and Rs 300 billion should be allocated for agricultural loans in the next budget, the forum proposed.
The forum in its proposals also suggested that price of 45-50 horsepower small tractors should be fixed at Rs 250,000 and 75 horsepower at Rs 500,000. It demanded that relaxation on levy of agriculture tax be enhanced to 25 acres of land construction of factories and colonies be banned on agricultural land. Boards should be constituted in research organisations and peasants given 55 per cent representation in these institutions, it said.
The forum proposed that role of middle-man should be restricted so that consumers could get vegetables, fruits or milk on 10 percent more price than on which farmers sell it. Sprinkle and drip irrigation system should be introduced on 500,000 acre of land ever year.
It demanded for setting up of 50 farms in the country to produce good milking animals. Construction of buildings in all provinces on the pattern of stock exchange or chambers suggested where farmers' organisations should be given free offices. The forum proposed the setting up of agricultural advisory boards on central and provincial levels, which would hold their monthly meetings presided over by the minister concerned for having a review of the agriculture.
It also called for slashing at least 15 per cent of the prices of agricultural medicine and enhancing area covered by forests from present three per cent to 20 per cent.
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