'POL prices hike to burden agriculture sector heavily'

Various growers organisations have taken strong exception over the sharp increase in diesel prices and said it will put an additional burden of rupees 40 billion on the rural economy that would ultimately affect the country's agriculture sector.
Chairman Agri-Forum Pakistan, Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal while talking to Business Recorder here Friday said that some 8,50,000 tractors, 9,25,000 tube wells and other agricultural implements use around 3.75 billion litre of diesel per annum.
Fresh increase in diesel prices means putting an additional burden of Rs 40 billion per annum on the growers. It will also definitely affect all sowing and harvesting activities, he added. Mughal feared that as a result of the decision, harvesting of wheat and its transportation will become expensive thus resulting increase in the flour while increase in sowing expenses of cotton, rice, sugarcane will also make these eatables more expensive for the masses.
Meanwhile, Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) President, Sardar Zafar Hussein Khan and General Secretary, Malik Muhammad Ramzan Rohari while talking to a delegation of growers from South Punjab alleged that huge increase in diesel and other petroleum products would result in closure of tube wells and other agricultural implements. They alleged the government had destroyed the agricultural economy by dropping oil bomb.
They pointed out said that new crop of wheat had already come to market in Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan and some other areas of Southern Punjab, but Punjab government is yet to open procurement centres in these areas. They claimed that middlemen are procuring wheat crop from growers from Rs 750 to Rs 800 per maund. They accused the government of deliberately delaying procurement and said that by April 17, which has been announced as starting date of procurement, growers of Southern Punjab would loose their hard earned money by selling their crop on throwaway prices to middle men.
KBP leaders urged the government to immediately withdraw increase in diesel prices and start procurement in South Punjab at the earliest to save growers. Similarly, Pakistan Muthida Kisan Mahaz Chief, Muhammad Ayub Khan Mayo claimed that oil-marketing companies are earning 400 percent profit while government is also earning huge amount under the head of petroleum levy and other taxes. He said that the government should consider the point that increase in petroleum prices would discourage mechanised farming and use of tube wells and tractors. It would also push prices upward in the food sector, multiplying the economic hardship of masses, he added.