A meeting in the Presidency on the impact of floods on food and agriculture, decided to encourage farmers to sow canola in the flood-affected areas early next month by assisting them with seed, inputs and land preparation to make optimal utilisation of the land before the Rabi wheat season in November this year.
The meeting held on Tuesday, presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari was attended among others by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Nazar Mohammad Gondal, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mir Humayun Aziz Kurd, Minister for Livestock, Rana M Farooq Saeed Khan, Minister for Textiles, M Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, federal secretaries of the relevant ministries, Chairman PARC, Zaka Ashraf Chairman ZTBL and Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar. The Provincial governments were represented by Provincial Agricultural secretaries.
Briefing journalists, Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting also decided to provide another incentive to the farmers by increasing the purchase price of canola from Rs 1,600 to Rs 1,800 per 40 kg. The solvent plant association has already assured to purchase the crop at Rs 1,800 per 40 kg. Canola cultivation will not only relieve pressure on the foreign exchange needed for import of edible oil but also improve fertility of the soil, the meeting was informed.
The meeting was further informed that canola crop will be followed by cotton in February. The President advised to make arrangements for free supply of seed to canola growers, Babar said. President also directed Ministry of Food and Agriculture to assess agricultural losses including loss of stored seeds and other agricultural commodities due to current floods and suggest measures so that the losses during Kharif crop could be compensated by the coming Rabi crop.
The President during the meeting said that farmers of the affected areas should be provided maximum help in seeds' procurement and other inputs for their crops. He asked the President ZTBL to work out a scheme of providing financial assistance to the farmers of the affected areas so that they are able to grow their crops again and could compensate their losses.
The President said that medical services for the people and the animals affected by the floods must be ensured by the relevant departments through mobilisation of voluntary doctors, veterinarians, paramedical staff and lady health workers. The President said that besides assessing agricultural losses, industrial and losses in the manufacturing capacity must also be determined and measures be suggested for its restoration.
He said that there was a need to set up a task force for suggesting measures to expedite restoration of infrastructure and deployment of international companies with cheap and long-term financing. The President also directed the PARC to carry out a study on the impact of climatic change in causing the recent floods, Farhatullah Babar said.-PR
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