Leaders of farming community demanded that the irrigation network should be improved and made transparent to provide level field to farmers of all federating units. Speaking at the pre-budget forum 2005-06 organised by a local daily, they said the President's package for improvement and rehabilitation of irrigation network is admirable but its slow pace of implementation might compromise its benefits. They suggested that the project should be completed on schedule by making all out efforts so that the tail-end growers can enhance the per acre yield and improve rural economic structure.
The growers demanded purging of GST and taxes on agricultural inputs and machinery to enable them to compete in world market under free market regime. They were of the opinion that the GST and taxes on agriculture had enhance the cost of production and in the present situation, the growers would not be able to compete with their neighbours, leave aside the world markets.
President Sindh Chamber of Agriculture Syed Qamar Zaman Shah claimed that there is no GST on agriculture inputs anywhere in the world, but in Pakistan, instead of subsidy the growers were subjected to pay 15 percent GST on fertiliser, pesticides, and agriculture machinery which was increasing cost of their produce.
He said in China the agriculture sector is being provided free electricity while in neighbouring India power connections and transformers is being provided free of cost to growers. He said he was at a loss to understand the difference in power tariff between Sindh and Balochistan and demanded that a unified policy should be adopted for all federating units.
Speaking at the forum, Dr Zulfiqar Yousufani said that duty free import policy introduce by the government to import vegetable from neighbouring country had caused tremendous losses to onion, chilli, and vegetable growers. He said instead of introducing such policy, even when the balance of payment is in favour of neighbouring India and China, the government should have provided tax-free inputs and machinery to growers so that they could improve quality and production of their crops.
He also criticised the agriculture produce marketing system, and said that these markets had virtually turned into middlemen dens that are earning 8 percent against growers 5 percent. He said that the statement of advisor to Sindh chief minister for food and agriculture is on record that 70 percent legitimate applicants have not been allotted shops in the market.
He said government should immediately streamline the market committees and place this market under an autonomous corporate body.
He said performance of inexperienced petty bureaucrats could be judged by the fact that the market committee is facing huge liquidity problem.
Zahid Bhurgari, a young farmer speaking at the forum, demanded a change in Minfal, which it seems, is not aware of the problems of Mirpurkhas and Badin districts.
He said the agriculture strategies should be evolved on district level. He was also critical of leading growers who are spending Rs 8 million on the purchase of Land Cruisers but they are not willing to purchase land graders, which can save 65 percent water.
Mehfooz Ursani alleged that for last 58 years there was no farmer friendly budget, and said that farmer friendly budget could alone bring about a positive change in agriculture sector.
Shabir Ahmed Memon, criticised the meteorological department for its failure to guide farming community with regard to climatic conditions, rains and storms, with the result that the growers fall victim to vagaries of nature.
The farming community leaders were critical of adulterated and spurious pesticides being marketed by unscrupulous people. They also criticised the role of plant protection directorate of Sindh agriculture extension, which is more interested in soliciting favour of pesticides companies in various shapes, including advertisements in their journal. They demanded that honest officers be posted to monitor the sale of pesticides in the province.
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