LAHORE: Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) Vice President Ahmad Jawad on Sunday claimed that the farm sector cost of production increased substantially during the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government and farmers had to face numerous difficulties.

Talking to the media here, he said fertilizers prices increased by 150 per cent, especially of DAP and Potash, and farmers faced shortage of locally produced urea. It also lowered wheat yield, and the new coalition government would have to import around 3 million tons of the commodity to meet the food needs of the population.

Also, he added, tractors’ charges in farming, electricity tariffs for tube-wells and other input expenses increased manifold.

The PBF vice president demanded the incumbent government pay fertilizer subsidy directly to farmers through Ministry of National Food Security and the provincial governments in an effort to reduce prices.

The PBF office-bearer said Pakistan would have to promote new agricultural technologies, as well as drip and sprinkle irrigation. “Like developed nations, we also have to adopt new agricultural techniques to get bumper crops but will with very low use of water.