LAHORE: Big wheat growers are facing problems in disposing ment procurement agencies, i.e. food department and Passco, as both are politically motivated and are catering to the needs of the local political leaders.
The revenue department is one of the major players responsible of the malpractice in wheat procurement while the food department has controlled its officials from wrongdoings and strictly implemented wheat procurement policy approved by the Punjab chief minister. However, some concerns of growers are genuine which can be averted by devising an innovative policy prior to the wheat harvesting season. Pakistan can learn from Indian Punjab which amicably handles wheat procurement for the benefit of growers.
These views were expressed by participants in the Jang Economic Session held on “Wheat Procurement Campaign – Problems and Government Actions” here on Tuesday. They were, Food secretary Irfan Ali, Director IBA Punjab University Dr Ehsan Malik, Pakistan Flour Mills Association Chairman Asim Raza, farmer Kabeer Ahmed Khan, Kissan Board Vice-President Sarfraz Ahmed Khan and of Mirza Rasheed Baig from Farmers Associates of Pakistan (FAP). The session was hosted by Sikindar Hameed Lodhi and Intikhab Tariq.
Irfan Ali said India had declared agriculture sector its lifeline and gave it subsidies while in Pakistan, the government was ignoring it. He feared decline in wheat production against the estimates of 17 million tonnes. He claimed that the market did not crash due to existence of the food department in the fields while wheat was being sold above Rs1,000 in 15 districts of Punjab. He hoped that the issues with the flour mills industry would be settled soon. He clarified that wheat procurement policy was not made to favour any political party while eight bags per acre were given to every grower, giving priority to small growers, having up to 25 acre. He quoted that the Punjab Food department had given only 200 bags to Nawaz Sharif farms against its demand of 1,700 bags.
Dr Ehsan Mailk said the governance issues were also faced by agriculture in Pakistan and stressed the need to benefit from Indian expertise in agriculture sector. He said industrialisation had stopped in Pakistan due to energy crisis and its time to utilise agriculture potential to increase exports. He said wheat procurement policy should be evolved before sowing and cost of production should be reduced by giving a free hand to agriculture and food departments.
Asim Raza said across the world wheat price was lower than in Pakistan while for the last four years, higher support prices policy was adopted due to which flour milling industry was in crisis and unable to export flour to markets of Afghanistan. He demanded allowing import of cheap wheat to the industry and suggested subsidy on agriculture inputs rather increment in support prices.
Kabeer Ahmed Khan said bardana system should be eliminated from wheat procurement as estimates of par acre productivity were wrong. He said if the government was unable to purchase wheat timely then it should allow wheat sale in the open market. He said Indian food and supplies board procured grains from growers while in Pakistan, growers waited to sell their produce. He called end to the role of patwaris in wheat procurement, saying that the revenue department’s involvement was the real cause of corruption in the whole campaign. He suggested involvement of Arhtis, who had infrastructure, by issuing them licenses to protect growers.
Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan said wheat productivity and support price were higher while purchase and market price was lower and the government did not have sufficient resources to procure wheat too. He said the government had left growers at the mercy of political coordinators to get bardana who were only giving it to their own people. He said the PPP used Passco for its political mileage and the PML-N the Punjab Food Department due to which majority of growers faced difficulties.
Mirza Rasheed Baig said when growers approached patwaris to get bardana they were sent to tehsildars who send them back to patwaris. He said the government had given only four bags per acre against the announced policy of eight bags per acre. He said the revenue department officials were busy in money minting during wheat procurement and its cost was paid by growers.
The revenue department is one of the major players responsible of the malpractice in wheat procurement while the food department has controlled its officials from wrongdoings and strictly implemented wheat procurement policy approved by the Punjab chief minister. However, some concerns of growers are genuine which can be averted by devising an innovative policy prior to the wheat harvesting season. Pakistan can learn from Indian Punjab which amicably handles wheat procurement for the benefit of growers.
These views were expressed by participants in the Jang Economic Session held on “Wheat Procurement Campaign – Problems and Government Actions” here on Tuesday. They were, Food secretary Irfan Ali, Director IBA Punjab University Dr Ehsan Malik, Pakistan Flour Mills Association Chairman Asim Raza, farmer Kabeer Ahmed Khan, Kissan Board Vice-President Sarfraz Ahmed Khan and of Mirza Rasheed Baig from Farmers Associates of Pakistan (FAP). The session was hosted by Sikindar Hameed Lodhi and Intikhab Tariq.
Irfan Ali said India had declared agriculture sector its lifeline and gave it subsidies while in Pakistan, the government was ignoring it. He feared decline in wheat production against the estimates of 17 million tonnes. He claimed that the market did not crash due to existence of the food department in the fields while wheat was being sold above Rs1,000 in 15 districts of Punjab. He hoped that the issues with the flour mills industry would be settled soon. He clarified that wheat procurement policy was not made to favour any political party while eight bags per acre were given to every grower, giving priority to small growers, having up to 25 acre. He quoted that the Punjab Food department had given only 200 bags to Nawaz Sharif farms against its demand of 1,700 bags.
Dr Ehsan Mailk said the governance issues were also faced by agriculture in Pakistan and stressed the need to benefit from Indian expertise in agriculture sector. He said industrialisation had stopped in Pakistan due to energy crisis and its time to utilise agriculture potential to increase exports. He said wheat procurement policy should be evolved before sowing and cost of production should be reduced by giving a free hand to agriculture and food departments.
Asim Raza said across the world wheat price was lower than in Pakistan while for the last four years, higher support prices policy was adopted due to which flour milling industry was in crisis and unable to export flour to markets of Afghanistan. He demanded allowing import of cheap wheat to the industry and suggested subsidy on agriculture inputs rather increment in support prices.
Kabeer Ahmed Khan said bardana system should be eliminated from wheat procurement as estimates of par acre productivity were wrong. He said if the government was unable to purchase wheat timely then it should allow wheat sale in the open market. He said Indian food and supplies board procured grains from growers while in Pakistan, growers waited to sell their produce. He called end to the role of patwaris in wheat procurement, saying that the revenue department’s involvement was the real cause of corruption in the whole campaign. He suggested involvement of Arhtis, who had infrastructure, by issuing them licenses to protect growers.
Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan said wheat productivity and support price were higher while purchase and market price was lower and the government did not have sufficient resources to procure wheat too. He said the government had left growers at the mercy of political coordinators to get bardana who were only giving it to their own people. He said the PPP used Passco for its political mileage and the PML-N the Punjab Food Department due to which majority of growers faced difficulties.
Mirza Rasheed Baig said when growers approached patwaris to get bardana they were sent to tehsildars who send them back to patwaris. He said the government had given only four bags per acre against the announced policy of eight bags per acre. He said the revenue department officials were busy in money minting during wheat procurement and its cost was paid by growers.