Government urged to focus on increasing agriculture output

Pakistan Crop Protection Association (PCPA) Chairman Engr. Javed Saleem Qureshi said that at the moment the issue within the country is not of counterfeited pesticides but of increasing the production of our crops, adding the government should pay attention to it.
While talking with Business Recorder, Qureshi said that the ratio of counterfeit pesticides within the country is almost zero because there is a very tough competition between the multinational companies, local manufacturing companies and formulation companies. He said that if we do not pay the attention especially to increase the per acre production of wheat then in the upcoming years we have to face the acute shortage of wheat.
He said that in Punjab only, the cultivated area of sunflower has reached up to 0.35 million acres and if the current situation prevails for some more time, then in the next Rabi season the cultivation area of sunflower would reached up to 1 million acres whereas the cultivated area of wheat is decreasing on the other hand. So keeping in view the above scenario, we may have to import double amount of wheat next year. He also said the government should strengthen its own farmers instead of strengthening the foreign farmers. He suggested that the government should fix the support price of wheat for the next Rabi season at Rs 1,000 per maund because the foreign farmers has been paid Rs 600 more on the import of wheat as compared to the local prices.
"The wheat production could increase from 30 to 40 maunds if only Rs 50 would be spent on the fields of local farmers", he added. Responding to a question, Qureshi said that farmers, fertiliser companies and agriculture scientists are also being included in the PCPA so that a joint strategy to increase the agriculture production would be formed from the same platforum.
He hoped that good relationship would be formed with the government of this platforum. He said that this is the first time in the 61 years history of the country that any government is seriously forming the positive policies for the development of agriculture and the prosperity of farmers.