Federal Minister for Agriculture, Food and Livestock, Sikandar Hayat Bosan, has said that Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) will purchase 40,000 bales cotton daily from November 3 or 4 so that cotton growers may get fair return of their produce. However, cotton would be purchased from those ginners who would pay Rs 925 per 40 kg to cotton growers, he added.
Talking to newsmen here on Sunday, he said that Cotton Assessment Committee would meet in Multan on November 6 to evaluate cotton production.
However, the government had enhanced its production target to 11 million bales from 10.7 million. The minister said that TCP had purchased 0.4 million bales which is being shifted to warehouses, in phases.
He said that prices of diesel and petrol could have been Rs 44 and Rs 52 per litre if the government had not frozen them.
The government did not increase the prices of petroleum products during the last five months in spite of the fact that world prices had jumped from 39 to 55 dollars per barrel. This step had been taken to provide relief to farmers and general public.
The Minister said, "We have imported 170,000 tons urea fertiliser at Rs 1200 per bag but the government would supply it at Rs 445 per bag and would grant subsidy of Rs 2.5 billion."
He said that herbicides are available at 50 percent less price and the rice production target of 4,020,000 tonnes would surely be achieved while next target would be 5 million tonnes.
He said that water shortage has been reduced to 44 percent from 63 percent. He said that there was no shortage of DAP fertiliser. DAP would be available at Rs 1100 per bag because prices of DAP had increased by 10 dollar per ton.
He claimed that sugar mills would start crushing from November 1,2004.