LAHORE - The prices of different agricultural inputs have registered an increase of 70 to 100 per cent during the last five years as compared to only 40-45 per cent increase in prices of various produces, said Hasan Ali Chaniho, Director Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) and former Agriculture Minister Sindh here on Tuesday.
There is an urgent need of bringing down input cost of the agricultural sector as high prices are discouraging the use of fertilizers, pesticides and quality seed in required quantity thus impacting negatively per acre yield. Bringing down prices would help increasing per acre yield leading to contribution in strengthening the national economy and enhancing GDP, increasing income of the growers and eradication of poverty from the rural areas. He said this while speaking at a function arranged by the Agricultural Journalists Association (AJA), Lahore on ‘increasing input cost of the agricultural sector’ at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
Hasan Ali spoke in detail about various factors hurting the agricultural growth in Pakistan including mushroom growth of seed companies. He called for regulating the seed sector. He said BT cotton has replaced rice and sugarcane in Thatha, Badin and Tando Muhammad Adam but it faced issues of various pest attacks including armyworm last year and pink bollworm this year. Such attacks posed threats to crop that could be avoided by ensuing availability of certified BT cotton seed.
Replying to a query why those provinces situated at the tail of water network not favour Kalabagh Dam, he said there was lack of confidence amongst the provinces. He said there was a need to restore that shattered confidence for taking up such decisions. Hassan Ali Chaniho said there is also a need to bring down the prices of farm machinery including tractor.
He said it is ironic that diesel is available for commercial sector and food sector at the same rate while fertilizer prices had also registered inflation thus our agricultural production was continuously declining.