Growers' organisations reacting over increase in the prices of petroleum products have urged the government to immediately withdraw this raise; otherwise they will be forced to give a call to the farmers to come on roads and accept their demands.
Chairman Agri-Forum Pakistan Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal said that the increase in the prices of diesel and fertilisers would put an extra burden of Rs 27 billion on the agricultural sector. He said around 20 million bags of DAP are used in the country during Rabi season while around 3.5 billion litre of diesel is used by the farmers for running agricultural implements and tube wells.
Mughal while talking to Business Recorder here on Monday said this increase would result in increasing the prices of wheat, rice, sugar, ghee, maize and cotton upward thus adding to the miseries of people. He said that the increase in the diesel prices had put an extra burden of Rs 15 billion on the agricultural sector while increase in the prices of fertilisers will make the growers to pay Rs 12 billion more. Both these increase collectively put burden of Rs 27 billion on the growers.
The chairman Agri-Forum said that around 800,000 tractors and 850,000 tube wells were being operated on diesel in the country while from 25 to 30 million of DAP fertilisers would be used during Rabi season. He urged the government to immediately withdraw the increase in the prices of fertilisers and diesel; otherwise the forum would give a call to the growers to come on roads.
Chairman Basmati Growers Association (BGA) Chaudhry Hamid Malhi while talking to this scribe said that the prices of diesel had been increased at a very important time of the year. He said that this was the time when three major crops were being harvested including rice, sugarcane and cotton while wheat would be sown by the growers.
He said that this increase had not only increased the cost of harvesting and sowing of these crops but would also increase the transportation of these commodities to the markets and mills. He said this stop shows that how much importance is given to the agricultural sector by the sitting government. He also urged the government to immediately withdraw this hike in the petroleum prices.
President, Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) Sardar Zafar Hussein and General Secretary Malik Muhammad Ramzan Rohari in their joint statement termed the increase in the diesel and electricity prices as exploitation of the masses. They said that present rulers have failed to provide any sort of relief to the people right from assuming the charge of the government.
They said that the prices of electricity, petroleum products, gas and eatables were on the rise instead of decreasing. On the other hand, helicopters and aeroplanes were being bought for the luxury of the rulers, they alleged.
They said this increase would also multiply the problems of the farmers and it would ruin the agricultural economy. They feared that it might lead to decrease in the production of wheat and other important crops. They said that the government was taking such steps, which would force the growers to come on roads and in such a case KBP would fully support the farmers for their rights.