Federal Minister Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan has said that Federal Government has given subsidy of Rs 250 for potassium and phosphate not only for this Rabi season but for the whole year.
The government has planned to increase this subsidy from Rs 250 to Rs 400 if the growers take benefit from the existing subsidy and increase their crops production.
He was speaking at a meeting with renowned growers, organised by Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) at Hyderabad on Wednesday night. He advised the office bearers of Sindh Abadgar Board to extend its work to Pakistan level and make it Pakistan Abadgar Board (PAG) to enhance its role for the welfare of growers and strengthening of the country's economy.
He said the Federal Government of Pakistan has arranged the DAP of Rs 400,000 by 15th of December 2006 and there is no shortage urea this time and that is available at very cheap rates to benefit the growers.
He acknowledged the co-operation of the big fertilisers companies like FFC, Angro and Pak Arab with the Federal Government.
He said there is a suggestion of establishing a National Seed Corporation and contradicted reports published in a few newspapers that Sindh Seed Corporation was being handed over to the Punjab Government.
He told the growers that when he was coming to Hyderabad from Mirpurkhas, he paid a surprise visit to a sugar mill at Mirpurkhas where the crushing had been started.
He said the government was striving to amend Sugar Control Act to enhance the production capacity of growers.
He said legislation was required for all farmers throughout the country.
He said the Law Department was working on a mechanism to check the complaints from growers Sun Flower Hypred Seed. He said that the crops at Multan, Khanewal and Vehari were badly affected by virus "Milli Bug". The Federal Minister said that all the watercourses would be lined up.
He said we are getting 65 percent of foreign exchange from the production of cotton.
He said Pakistan has done record trade of one billion dollars in rice this year, which was appreciated by President Pervez Musharraf.
He said that working group would be organised for a port exclusively for rice and other suggestions would also be considered.
He said the Federal Government had already paid up to Rs 56 billion because of the day-by-day fluctuation of oil prices in the current fiscal year so it is not possible to decrease the oil prices at the instant. However, he said, our prices are lower than other neighbouring countries.
He said the Federal Government was also concerned over the livestock position in the country and in this regard within 15 days the advertisement in newspapers would be published for the establishment of 2,600 farm houses where 100 percent health facilities would be provided and the 15 percent grant would be provided to the farm holders.
He said the many countries are interested to provide the land 'to them' for establishing livestock farms in Pakistan.
He said a person is interested to invest Rs 1.4 billion at Thana Bula Khan for establishing farmhouses.
He said the companies establishing livestock farms would be provided horticulture areas.