Provinces fail to submit proposals for minor crops promotion

In a classic exhibition of typical bureaucratic 'puzzle lock', the provincial food departments have so far failed in submitting recommendations for formulating 'comprehensive' policy for minor crops promotion despite a directive issued by the Ministry of Agriculture in October. Official sources told Business Recorder that the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) gave a month's time to provincial authorities to come up with their suggestions for minor crops' promotion in a meeting on October 25.
The food departments were to submit their proposals by end of November, but they failed to do so.
Taking strong exception of this delay, the ministry had sent a reminder to food departments, but even then there was no response, sources said.
Sources said that Agriculture Ministry wanted proposals to control 'abrupt' fluctuation in production and prices of minor crops, which often leave the market in utter uncertainty.
"What the minor crops have been lacking over the years is consistency and we want provinces to tell us how to control this," sources said.