Agri-Forum Pakistan Chairman Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal has urged the government to provide a level playing field to the Pakistani growers before awarding Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India. In an appeal to the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Agri Forum Chairman claimed that India used to give an annual subsidy (in pak rupees) of Rs 855 billion to its agricultural sector and Rs 340 billion in the food sector.
'Pakistan should ensure abolition of this subsidy or extend same amount of subsidies to Pakistani growers ensuring a level playing field,' Mughal added. He appreciated setting up of a ministry at the federal level for food security and hoped that this new ministry would work more and spend less. He also appreciated the government steps of timely stopping sugar import and allowing timely import of urea.
However, he said before giving MFN status to India, government should look in to some ground realities. He said that India was extending huge subsidies to its growers annually. Ibrahim Mughal claimed that a bag of Urea fertilizer weighing 50-kilogram is available in Pakistan from Rs 1300 to Rs 1700 but the same in India is sold at Rs 513 per bag. Similarly DAP bag is being sold in Pakistan at Rs 4200, while in India the same is available at Rs 1539, diesel is Rs 94 per liter in Pakistan while the same in India is available at Rs 77 per liter.
Electricity is being provided to Indian agriculturists at Re 1 per unit and in Pakistan it is being provided at Rs 8.38 per unit. Agri Forum said that India at one hand was using water as a threat to Pakistan, while on the other hand wanted to turn Pakistan in to market of its agricultural products, which were less expensive due to subsidies. He said it would also destroy the industrial sector of Pakistan basing on agriculture. He said if Pakistan wanted to import something then it should import cheaper fertilisers, diesel and cheaper electricity.
He said if India decline to end subsidies to its growers then Pakistan should also extend same amount of subsidy to its growers. He proposed that the amount for this subsidy could be generated by reducing government official vehicles by half and saving expenses on petrol and maintenance of these vehicles.