Dear Friends,
Eighty percent flood affected people have gone back to their homes in southern Punjab and forty percent in Sajawal, Sindh. The army in collaboration with civil administration is using 15 de-watering pumps to drain out flood water from Dera Allah Yar Khan, Gandakha and surrounding areas in Balochistan. Turkish Red Crescent with the help of army is constructing 70 houses per day at Pir Sabab and Akora Khattak. Only 29,636 affected people are staying in relief camps in southern Punjab. Army engineers have plugged the breaches on Budh-Kot Addu, Taunsa barrage and Tori bund. Army engineers are working on the road Badin - Sajawal and Jati - Chuhar Jamali. 2042 and 16750 flood affected people are living in relief camps at Bahawalpur and Balochistan respectively.
Rabi Season 2010-11
The government is likely to set wheat production target as 25 million tonnes for (October to March) Rabi Season 2010-11, .
Last year, the government also set wheat production target of 25 million tonnes but actually achieved 23.87 million tonnes wheat production over 9.042 million hectares sowing areas.
The officials claimed that 25 million tonnes wheat production would be achieved over 9.045 million hectares sowing areas in Rabbi Season 2010-11. The wheat crop, 2009-10 targets were fixed in line with Task Force on Food Security recommendation (4% per annum growth in wheat production) the target for 2010-11 crop are being proposed as of last year keeping in view that the last year targets (25 m/t) were not achieved and the flood 2010 situation in the country.
The government is likely to set production target for Punjab as 19.205 million tonnes over 6.836 million hectares sowing areas, Sindh 3.682 million tonnes over 1.031 million hectares sowing areas, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) 1.210 million tonnes over 0.769 million hectares and Balochistan 0.903 million tonnes over 0.409 million hectares sowing areas, the sources maintained.
As the flood badly damaged agriculture land across the country, the government is considering various proposals to provide more incentives to wheat growers during the season. Special attention would be given to the precision land leveling and water management programmes and provision of wheat production technologies by provincial/federal agriculture research organisations. The 25 million tonne wheat production target would be achieved through dissemination of production technologies through provincial agricultural extension services.
Special arrangement has been made for availability of quality certified seed, timely availability and supply of fertilizers, increase use of fertilizers, and arrangements would be made for increased loan facilities. It is also expected that the government will maintain wheat support price at Rs 950 per 40 kg for next Rabi Season, the sources maintained.
Last year the government fixed wheat procurement target of 7.5 million tonnes but till end of August 2010, the government procured 6.714 million tonnes. Punjab procured 3.721 million tonnes against total target of 4 million tonnes. For Sindh, the government set procurement target of 1.5 million tonnes and procured 1.496 million tonnes. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the target was 0.3 million tonnes for the current season and procured the whole quantity. For Balochistan, the target was 100,000 tonnes, and so far 68357 tonnes have been procured.
Whereas, for Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation Limited (PASSCO), the total wheat procurement target was 1.6 million tonnes and till August 2010 it procured 1.127 million tonnes.
While observing a major sugar crisis in the country, Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has urged the federal government to import 0.5 million tons of raw sugar to meet the domestic needs, besides removing 25 percent Regulatory Duty on the commodity, it has been learnt.
PSMA had written a letter to the Ministry of Industries and Production, asking them to import 0.5 million tons of sugar instead of refined commodity on an urgent basis, otherwise the sugar crisis could deepen in the coming weeks, as prices could further go up. Meanwhile, they also demanded of the government to remove 25 percent duty on the commodity, so that dealers could import sugar.
flash floods had also affected the sugarcane crop and according to the unofficial statistics, floods in the country have destroyed 10 percent crop.
"Yes, we have written a letter to the Ministry of Industries and Production regarding importation of sugar immediately," said Iskandar Khan while talking to TheNation when contacted. He said that the country could save $100 million if it imports raw sugar against the refined one, as it proves cheaper.
He further said that from last three years, he has been asking the government to import raw sugar, however, every time, they had turned down this suggestion, he added. On a query, Khan said, sugar millers are not involved in the soaring price of commodity, as it is just a baseless statement of the government that we are responsible for the crisis, he said.
It is worth mentioning here that the sugar prices went up to Rs 90 per kg in the country. Meanwhile, the centre had asked the provincial governments to take action against profiteers and hoarders of sugar, as they are behind the sky rocketing prices of the commodity. Officials of the Ministry are of the view that the country had sufficient sugar stock, and there is no shortage of it. While on the other hand, PSMA believed that there is shortage of commodity as sugar millers are left with 3000-4000 tons of commodity, therefore, the govt should import it well at time.
Regards
Shoaib Habib Memon
Thatta Sindh pk
Cell.0314 2090252
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