Though the tomato prices have not come down below Rs 200 per KG in the local market, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has hailed the federal government's decision not to allow import of tomato from India and said the move would help local farmers and save foreign exchange for Pakistan.
Talking to Business Recorder here on Tuesday LCCI President Abdul Basit said tomato is not a necessary food item like flour or rice and one can live without it. He pointed out that our farmers had stopped production of vegetables due to unhindered import of heavily subsidized Indian vegetables.
He demand that the government should impose a complete ban on the import of vegetables and fruits from India and other countries to facilitate and encourage the local growers to invest and promote agriculture sector He said the government needs to increase the cropped area to avoid any crisis-like situation as agricultural trade has gained importance in these times offering new opportunities and challenges.
Basit said Pakistan is an agriculture country with vast plains and manpower resources. The agriculture can become an important source of the foreign exchange for Pakistan necessary to finance imports and development besides it will ensure domestic food security.
Prominent agronomist and director Basmati Growers Association Farooq Bajwa said that by allowing liberal import of vegetables and fruits from India, the government has almost destroyed domestic agriculture sector. He said India is selling vegetables and fruits worth several billion dollars as daily more than 60 trucks carrying vegetables enter Pakistan.
He suggested that the farmers must be given cheap loans and subsidies for purchasing fertilizers, pesticides and other inputs. Pakistan offers huge opportunities for investment in the agriculture sector that include crops, seeds, livestock, farming, and processing.
Pakistan can export its agriculture products to many countries by increasing per acre yield and processing and storage facilities. Pakistani Government must heavily invest in water storage and distribution, improve regulation of seed markets and take steps to reduce the cost of production for the farmers.
Meanwhile Provincial Minister for Industry and Trade Sheikh Alla-u-din chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on price Control. Provincial Minister Food Bilal Yasin, Department of Food, Industry Secretaries, Deputy Commissioner Lahore, DG Agriculture and other concerned officers attended the meeting.
Departments briefed that tomato prices had been raised in the local market due to decay of crop in Balochistan.
New production of tomatoes from KP will arrive in the market within 20 days and tomato prices will be normalized. Onion supply is coming from Balochistan and Sindh and the price will be further reduced in the coming days. Due to fluctuation in prices, some merchants are making hay illegally but District Governments under the supervision of Deputy Commissioners are now taking action against these merchants under the law.
The Provincial Minister for Industries said Pakistan has been facing serious problem regarding tomatoes, potatoes, onions and ginger supply for many years. Now, the government has introduced a policy to bridge the supply and demand gap of essential goods.