The Punjab government has asked the Federal government to ensure proper smooth supply of urea fertilisers during the Kharif season as the farmers cannot afford the loss of crop due to the shortage of fertilisers. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has expressed grave concern in a letter to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani over inordinate delay in import of urea when it is urgently needed.
In a letter, a copy of which is available with this scribe, the CM said: "Any further delay would create a perception of shortage and space for speculators to jump into the arena. It is, therefore, imperative that TCP is provided all possible support to open the LCs and streamline imports into the country." Ideally, it said, the planned imports of urea for the Kharif season should have reached Pakistan before April, 2009, which incidentally has been delayed.
The letter said that interaction of the Shahbaz administration with the concerned ministry of the federal government showed that availability position of urea is uncomfortable, particularly for the months of June and July, the most critical period for its application to crops.
It said that for the Kharif season 2009-10, Federal Government has planned urea imports of approximately 0.6 million tons through TCP. "I am told that these lined up imports are still at the processing stage so much so that for the last two weeks LC has not been opened up for the tender floated regarding the import of 2.55 lac tons."
The chief minister pointed out that growth and development of the two important crops of Kharif season, cotton and rice, is dependent on timely application of fertilisers. During the last Rabi season, the letter said, an acute shortage of fertilisers resulted in overcharging of the commodity in spite of the best efforts of the provincial and federal governments.
Recurrence of such a situation during Kharif season would not only negatively impact the farmers, but would also destabilise the fertiliser market through price escalation and attract criticism from general public as well as media, it said. The chief minister further wrote that another aspect, which needs the prime minister's attention, was the distribution mechanism.
The experience of the last Rabi season was not very encouraging and needs to be revisited, he said. The letter said that the National Fertiliser Company, entrusted with the task of distribution of imported fertiliser has a limited dealer network, in which certain districts of Punjab get totally ignored.
A prompt intervention is required to expand this network and carry out this distribution in a transparent manner, he emphasised. In the end, the chief minister assured his full support and co-operation of the Punjab government in implementation of this plan.
The National Fertiliser Company, that deals with the distribution of imported fertiliser, is under the Ministry of Industries and Production headed by Manzoor Wattoo. The Economic Co-ordination Council (ECC) approves the import of fertiliser on proposal from either the ministry of food and agriculture or the ministry of industries or production. The TCP, though an autonomous body, is under the control of the commerce ministry.