Government plans to set up 200 agriculture commodity marketing and trade centres

The government plans to establish 200 Agriculture Commodity Marketing, Storage and Trade Centres in the main production areas with private sector partnership in the country.
Planning and Development sources told APP that the model comprises establishment of a facility where the growers can sell their produce and get required inputs at government fixed or free market price and if necessary avail credit facility provided by the Financial institutions /Commercial Banks having offices at the same places.
They added that center will also have a trading plate from for the sale and purchase of agriculture commodities at the prevailing market price.
The centres, they said would also have storage facility in case farmer wants to store his produce for future markets.
The Agriculture Extension Service of the provincial Agricultural department shall also depute an Agriculture Officer at each center to provide technical advice/guidance to the growers on modern technology and management.
"Arrangements shall be made to invite experts/specialists from research departments on regular basis during the cropping seasons of particular commodity to advice on specific problems", they remarked. The establishment of these centers , they said shall have a multidimensional impact on agriculture growth and production on one hand and improved profitability /income of the farmer on the other. The Planning and Development sources further said that the storage facility for the produce shall have direct impact on food increasing the production and profitability of the farmer. They said that the whole activity shall enable to stabilise prices and reduce the post harvest losses and provide quality produce for local and export market.
They added that Pakistan annually produces about 21 million tonnes of wheat, 5.6 million tonnes of rice and 3.6 million tonnes of maize.
These cereal crops, they said are most important for food security of ever increasing population of the country.
"On the other hand we produce about 15 million tonnes of different fruits and vegetable crops having significant importance in the national economy", they added. These commodities, they said, have emerged as important items of export capable to earn huge amounts in foreign exchange and thus have important role for the livelihood of large segment of the population.
They were of the view that there are huge post harvest losses for above commodities which reach to 30-40 percent for horticulture crops and about 15 percent for the cereals and thus affect income of the farming community.
They observed that the main reasons for these losses are inadequate market and storage infrastructure and non-availability of finance as required time particularly for small farmers. "As a result, the farmer often ends up selling his produce to the middle man and invariably at less than fair market price fixed by the government", they said.