Half knowledge can be fatal

Apropos a report published in Business Recorder on 22nd July "5,500 MW power can be generated if gas supply stopped to fertiliser and CNG". The mind boggling analysis for solution to our power shortfall crisis through shifting of gas from CNG and fertiliser sector. This forced me to find more and to my surprise I came to conclusion that Private Power and Infrastructure Board, Government of Pakistan Ministry of Water and Power's website figures when read in totality negate the claim.
It reads that total production (gross installed) capacity of oil and gas IPPs is 6935 MW and share of gas-fired IPPs only come to about 1400 MW which is only 20 percent. This kills the logic for unfruitful discussion for the proposed 5,500 MW solution. Moreover, fertiliser sector's total gas allocation is just 818 MMCFD but they hardly get 600 MMCFD through Mari and SSGC network. An expert told that gas allocated at Mari network is low MMBTU (inferior quality gas) which cannot be used for power generation or domestic consumption hence this low mmbtu gas field is being utilised by domestic fertiliser plants saving it from being wasted.
Today, the farmers of Pakistan are able to fulfil the domestic needs of wheat, rice, sugar, milk of 180 million people at a much higher per capita consumption level, and also export wheat and rice to the rest of the world. This shows the spectacular rise in productivity as the share of agriculture in national income. Total cropped area of Pakistan is 23.04 million hectares. 90 percent of the land is irrigated and only remaining 10 percent is rain cultivated. In Pakistan, success of farming is largely result of use of fertilisers, pesticides and techniques of crop rotation which are practiced successfully in order to have higher yield.
Farming has not only been the main sector for growth but one of those few sectors which are performing well. Any government decision based on incomplete data will have far reaching results. Recently, Iran agreed with Pakistan to import wheat valued at $9 million in exchange for electricity. Iranian Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Behzad said, "We agreed on barter of goods in exchange for electricity supplies and Pakistan will provide rice and wheat for electricity". Such examples show strength and importance of agri sector and need careful handling.