Agriculture neglected in budget: minister

Punjab Agriculture Minister Malik Ahmad Ali alleged on Saturday that the federal government had neglected agriculture in the proposed budget 2012-13 and proved that it was an anti-grower government. He said fertiliser prices were already sky-high and further increase in the prices of Urea had added to the woes of farmers. While commenting on the federal budget for the next financial year, the minister said that the federal government had badly failed in presenting an 'Awami budget.'
He claimed the budget would hit the common man especially those associated with agriculture sector. He said it was the time to give special relief measures to the growers to save the agricultural sector and make it profitable. Such steps should have been introduced to increase per acre yield thus enhancing the income of the farmers and stabilising the agricultural economy.
He also claimed that RGST imposed on agricultural inputs in the budget 2011-12 had brought the agricultural sector to the brink of destruction. He claimed that all the organisations representing growers and farmers had unanimously rejected this budget of the federal government. Punjab Agriculture Minister demanded that the government should immediately withdraw RGST.