The Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) has urged the government to advise sugar factories to start crushing season by October 25 to enable farmers to plant wheat after sugarcane harvesting.
FAP said this while holding a Executive Committee meeting here on Thursday to discuss several issues, through various resolutions, paid tribute to the federal and provincial governments for giving a 25 percent subsidy on electricity for tube-wells. They also demanded that like wise subsidy on fees for new tubewells connection.
During the meeting it was also demanded that the rate of sugarcane should be fixed by the government at Rs 80 per 40 kg with on-time payment to growers. The meeting also urged stopping import of sugar forthwith to encourage Pakistani farmers and industry to avail the upcoming crushing season with out any problem. CPR should be declared as a negotiable instrument to facilitate farmers to get it discounted. Moreover a column of due date of payment be also added on CPR, the meeting demanded.
The government must devise a comprehensive strategy to deal with mealy bug since it had emerged as a major pest of cotton. The meeting also urged the government to allow free import of cotton inputs from India through Wahga in addition to import of cotton from India to provide a level playing field to our cotton growers. The government should arrange to produce, multiply and distribute BT cottonseeds in ample quantity to farmers since it had proved beneficial for stakeholders.
The house noted with concern the escalating price of DAP currently at Rs 1,300 per bag. It was also reported that retailers were coercing farmers to buy 4 bags of urea with each bag of DAP. The house demanded the government to fix the price of DAP at Rs 1,000 per bag to facilitate them to plant wheat with optimum use of pre-sowing fertilisers.