Lahore: The President of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad,
Khalid Mahmood Khokhar, held a press conference in Lahore whereby he stated
that Pakistani farmers are currently waiting in long queues to receive the
urgently required fertilizer for Rabi crops. While sowing of cotton has already
started in Sindh and Punjab, two major fertilizer plants in the Country remain
closed since January 1, 2023. He stated that Pakistan's economy is heavily
reliant on agriculture, with $24 billion of the country's $31 billion in
revenue generated from the sector. Unfortunately, no political party or
government has taken any significant steps to promote agricultural development
across the Country.
Mr Khokhar
demanded that the Petroleum Ministry should immediately provide gas to the
closed fertilizer plants so that farmers can obtain urea at reasonable prices.
He also expressed concern that the country may face a shortage of 700 million
tons of urea this year. The total demand for urea is roughly 6.8 million tons,
and both plants can provide around 650 million tons of urea from March 15 to
December 31.
Mr Khokhar
also added that with consistently rising cost of production for farmers, it is
becoming increasingly difficult for them to compete with neighboring countries
that subsidize the same costs for agricultural inputs. He stated that during
the COVID-19 pandemic, agriculture was the only sector that helped feed the
Pakistani people, thanks to the blessings of Allah Almighty. While all other
sectors were closed, agriculture played an essential role in providing
sustenance to the nation. He highlighted that around 18 million acres of land
can be brought under cultivation to ensure food security of the country while
this untapped potential can also contribute around USD 34 billion to the
National GDP.
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