LAHORE – The Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) has urged the provincial government to ensure immediate payment to sugarcane growers. FAP Vice Chairman Hussein Jehanian Gardezi expressed these views in the 117th Extra Ordinary General Meeting (EOGM) of the organisation held here on Thursday.
FAP vice chairman said that payments to sugarcane growers, worth Rs 3.0 billion, were pending with Punjab’s sugar mills and farmers were struggling to get their payments. The FAP asked the provincial government to immediately release its wheat procurement plan as only two months were left in the arrival of new crop. FAP members were also concerned about the remaining wheat stocks, which were being carried forward for two years.
FAP members urged the government to immediately address the issue of fertilisers profiteering and black-marketing. They pointed out that fertiliser prices had swelled by Rs 400 to Rs 500 per bag during the last two months, which was a matter of great concern. The meeting also discussed the issue of an increase in agriculture tax by the provincial government and demanded that filing of returns should not be introduced.
Farmers were even ready for an increase in slab of this tax but did not possess capacity or capability to file the returns. It was proposed that the government should delay introduction of the filing system for three years. Meanwhile, it should arrange capacity building for farmers. Discussing water related issues, participants of the meeting pushed the government to immediately start construction work on all proposed dams including Kalabagh, Bhasha and Akhori.
They maintained that water and electricity issues could not be resolved without construction of big dams. The meeting also urged the provincial government to start work on the proposed project worth Rs 18 billion to promote drip and sprinkle irrigation in the province. The meeting also rejected imposition of a 3.5 percent withholding tax on trade of agricultural produce and observed that ultimately farmers and consumers had to pay the price.
Punjab Agriculture Secretary Arif Nadeem Agriculture Tax, Board of Revenue Punjab Member Ch Safdar also attended the meeting. Replying to questions, Punjab Secretary Agriculture Arif Nadeem stated that the government had constituted a committee comprising Secretary Food, Cane Commissioner and others to ensure early payment to growers. He said that the Punjab government had started to dispose off wheat stocks and had confirmed wheat export orders of 1.4 million tonnes.
