Agriculture sector promotion: ministry sets up 35 committee

The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has constituted 35 committees across the country to promote the agricultural sector which was neglected in past to save the country from food security. The committees would boost regional trade and monitor agriculture import and exports trade patterns, including import pricing, and highlight issues and give recommendations in regard to trade facilitation for agriculture products.
The committees would discuss and suggest recommendations to resolve problems confronted by growers, exporters and suppliers and other related issues. The regional trade committees would submit their reports and recommendations to the concerned ministries directly. The representatives of ministries or departments would be member of regional trade committees. The ministries and departments include Ministry of National Food and Security and Research Division, Ministry of Science and Technology, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, National Tariff Commission of Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh, agriculture departments, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Agriculture, Livestock and Co-operative departments, Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, Pakistan National Accreditation Council, NAPHIS, Department of Plant Protection and Department of Animal Quarantine. The representatives of chambers, farmers associations, mango & citrus association, Rice Exporters Association and other bodies would also be member of the committees. The chairmen of Islamabad Poultry and Vegetable Farmers Association, Faisalabad, Pakistan Agriculture and Dairy Farmers Association, Lahore, Pakistan Dairy Association, Lahore, Pakistan Rice Exporters Association, Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, Multan Mango Growers Association, All Pakistan Fruits and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association, Karachi, Pakistan Fruits Processors Association, Islamabad, Pakistan Flour Mills Association, Lahore, All Pakistan Crop Protection Association, Lahore, Seed Association of Pakistan, Sindh Badger Board, Hyderabad would be included in the committees.

Source: Business Recorder

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Sindh has adequate wheat stock to meet existing demand

Sindh province has adequate wheat stock to meet the existing demand till the arrival of next crop, traders said on Monday. Talking to Business Recorder they said that presently Sindh has some 0.113 million tons wheat stock in its godowns and recently the Sindh food department has also issued delivery orders of over 100,000 tons wheat quota to flour mills across the province. This quota will be sufficient for next 15 days.
"New wheat crop is almost ready in several parts of Sindh and regular supply is likely to arrive in next few days as harvesting has already begun in some districts", said Hashim Sharja Wala, a leading wheat trader. There is neither panic nor wheat crisis in the market as sufficient wheat stock is available in the province. Even wheat grain prices are stable at Rs 39,000 per ton from last one month, he added.
Presently, wheat is being traded at Rs 39,000 to Rs 39,250 per ton in open market, while Sindh food department is supplying commodity to flour mills at a price of Rs 30,000 per ton, he mentioned. With the arrival of new crop, wheat grain prices in the domestic market are likely to face a drastic cut in next few weeks; he said and added that wheat harvesting has started in some parts of the province, where wheat crop is ready. However, arrival will increase after harvesting and thrashing in the belt of Dadu and MirpurKhas, Hashim mentioned.
He said that some trucks of new wheat crop have also arrived in the market and commodity was traded at Rs 35,000 per ton, due to some moisture. "We are expecting wheat prices will decline to Rs 35,000 in next 10 day, when proper supply of new wheat crop will begin", Hashim said.
Sindh government has planned to procure some 1.3 million tons this year to build its strategic reserves and Sindh food department has taken several steps to avoid any speculation in the market.Sindh government may impose an inter-district ban on wheat movement aimed to complete its procurement, he added.
"Presently, prices are higher than wheat support price of Rs 1200 per maund or Rs 30,000 per ton, but I m sure that wheat prices will gradually decline after arrival of new crop in the market and price is expected to be around Rs 30,000 to Rs 31,000 per ton by the end of this month", Hashim said.
Talking about the Thar famine, he said, this is only due to mismanagement and distribution/ transportation issues and there is no shortage of commodity in province. He said that as per food department they have distributed over thousands of wheat bags among masses of Thar in the last three days.
He said that during the last crop season, Sindh has failed to achieve its procurement target and some 1.05 million ton wheat was procured as against target of Rs 1.3 million tons. However this year, wheat procurement target will be achieved as Sindh will have a bumper wheat crop.
Akhtar Hussian, a leading flour miller, said that presently mills are getting some 300 bag per day from food department and there is no wheat crisis in the province. He said that new crop will arrive in the market from March 15 and after that stock position will further improve.

Source: Business Recorder

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Pakistan and India trade to be promoted by protecting rights of stakeholders

agrTrade between Pakistan and India should be promoted by protecting the rights of stakeholders particularly the growers. It was recommended by the roundtable conference titled "improving economic governance in agricultural sector through trade liberalisation between Pakistan and India" arranged at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad.
The recommendation was made by the UAF Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Pro Chancellor Syed Babar Ali, MNA and Parliamentary Secretary Rana Afzal, Farmers Association Pakistan President Tariq Bucha and other progressive farmers were present on the occasion. While informing the audience about recommendations, the Vice Chancellor suggested the identification of the seasonal window for the commodities.
He quoted the examples of potato which has peak season in August and September in India and in Pakistan it has the peak season in October and November. The conference also recommended that trust deficit between the two countries needs to be bridged through dialogue. The strengthening of the domestic production market is also essential to tap the potential of the sector.
The Vice Chancellor said India is the big market of around one billion of the people. He said the trade with the seasonal window would open up new chapter of progress. He also sought the policy interventions in this regard to flourish the sector in Pakistan. He said India is providing the highest subsidy on the electricity. Even in the Indian Punjab, the subsidy on tube wells is amounting to Rs 1trillion. Syed Babar Ali said we need to tap the potential in flourishing the agricultural sector by promoting the state-of-the-art technologies in the country.
He said China has made tremendous work in the garlic. Our country can do the same. We have to get the benefit from others experience. He said 70 percent of the population is directly or indirectly linked to the agricultural sector that must be strengthened. He also suggested setting up entrepreneurship cell at the UAF in order to equip the youth with the skill and to transform the knowledge into goods and services.
MNA Rana Afzal said the Government is making all-out efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector in the country. He said the recommendations to be made before the government. He said agriculture is the backbone of our economy, contributing 21 percent in the Gross Domestic Product. Tariq Bucha urged the government to take the tangible steps to address the issues of the farming community. He said at least ten percent of the budget must be allocated for the agricultural sector. He said in the process of trade policy formulation, the farmers must be taken on board. ORIC Director Professor Dr Asif Ali, Dr Abdul Ghafoor, Dr Waseem Ahmad, Dr Mubashair Mehdi, Director Ayub Agriculture Research Institute Dr Abid Mehmood, Aiwan-e-Zarat President Dr Sadique Naseem and others also attended the meeting.

Source: Business Recorder

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Kharif season: fertiliser makers not in favour of urea import

Domestic chemical makers don't seem to be in favour of giant import of carbamide for Kharif season as they believe that spare stocks are obtainable for the approaching crop season. The Ministry of Industries & Production within the last meeting of the chemical Review Committee (FRC) had determined to import zero.125 million tons for Kharif season and therefore the chemical business supported the choice.

This acquisition are created against a $50 million loan facility recently approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) specifically for the acquisition of carbamide fertilizer.

As per estimates of chemical makers of West Pakistan consultive Council (FMPAC) - a representative body of native fertilizer makers - around three.01 million heaps of carbamide stocks, as well as domestic production and carryover stocks from Rabi season, are obtainable within the country for the approaching crop season against a most demand of two.8 to 2.9 million tons.

The country would have some zero.370 million heaps of carbamide stock at begin|the beginning} of Kharif season that may start from Gregorian calendar month one, 2014. calculable production from domestic fertilizer plants throughout the Kharif season can stay a pair of.64 million tons (with gas offer on SNGPL in line with the last year) which means there would be around three.01 million heaps of carbamide obtainable within the country against a requirement of two.8 to 2.9 million tons. As a result, the carryover stock at the tip of Kharif 2014 is probably going to be zero.21 to 0.110 million tons, a political candidate of FMPAC aforesaid.

He aforesaid recent demand of two.9 million tons continues to be more than needs reported  by provinces. "Fertiliser plants will manufacture the specified and spare carbamide for domestic consumption by guaranteeing the required gas offer. The domestic production won't need precious interchange and billions of rupees grant, being spent on import on carbamide," he added.

The business sources aforesaid the govt call to import carbamide and distribute it through National chemical selling restricted (NFML) has additionally been politically motivated  within the past so this observe ought to be discourage by the PML-N government. The centralized is already considering shifting the foreign carbamide distribution from NFML to non-public sector so as to confirm clear and timely distribution of foreign carbamide, they added.

Sources aforesaid some quarters ar proposing an enormous import of zero.7 million heaps of carbamide import for Kharif season. However, they believed that the planned conceive to import zero.7 million heaps of carbamide is contrary to the fact on ground and therefore the call can drain around $266 million from the funds, that is already facing a crisis of depleting forex reserves.

According to sources, this estimate of foreign carbamide has been calculated at a median $380 per ton price and Fright (C&F). On this basis, the landed price involves Rs a pair of,900 per fifty kilo bag as well as port incidentals and native freight, etc. To sell this foreign carbamide at a fix value of Rs one,786 per bag, the govt would ought to offer a further grant of roughly Rs sixteen billion on zero.7 million tons foreign carbamide.

Domestic fertilizer makers urged the govt to require any call on carbamide import whereas keeping in sight this stock handiness position. carbamide is foreign to supply profit to farmers, however in point of fact, farmers don't get any advantage of foreign carbamide and later grant by the funds, they added. Despite the country's current carbamide production capability of six.9 million tons, that is world's seventh largest, West Pakistan spent over $1.5 billion on carbamide import in last three years and additionally paid a grant of over Rs sixty billion on foreign carbamide.

^{Source: Business Recorder}

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Agriculture sector opposes granting NDMA/MFN status to India

The Agriculture Task Force (ATF) of Pakistan-India Joint Business Forum (PIJBF) is vehemently opposition granting Non-Discriminatory Market Access/Most Favoured Nation (NDMA/MFN) to Asian country at this stage.

President, Farmers Associates West Pakistan (FAP) and Co-Chair of Agriculture Task force, PIJBF, Tariq Bucha in an exceedingly letter sent to the federal commerce minister has highlighted that agriculture sector, that is far and away the largest leader within the country, flatly opposes granting NDMA/MFN to Asian country until correct preparations are completed on our facet to guard our sectors from huge Indian subsidies, and find important market access from Asian country for Pakistani merchandise, to make sure the amount enjoying field as per the need ordered down within the cupboard call of bissextile day, 2012.

Unnecessary haste with that the govt of West Pakistan is continuing to open Wagah border and to over 137 things before Asian country lowers its agriculture tariffs and removes every kind of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) and healthful and Phyto healthful (SPS) barriers that are undermining our negotiating leverage and position. "For Agriculture turn out and product, Wagah route can't be opened any longer, till a separate bilateral agri-trade agreement is negotiated involving stakeholders together with FAP, and is finalised and signed, supported associate impartial and freelance study for that purpose," he said.

Moreover, he said, SAFTA doesn't apply absolutely to the complexities concerned underneath the World Trade Organization regime with relevance agriculture. it's a 15-page agreement with incomplete annexes, and needs important and severe redefining, restructuring and amendments with careful neutral input and approval, just in case it contemplates agri trade between the countries owing to huge current and future subsidies given to agriculture in Asian country that ar an indicator of unfair trade.

Nowhere will the SAFTA agreement need West Pakistan to terminate its sensitive list in 5 years. "Pakistan's agriculture sector vehemently opposes any longer phasing out of agricultural things from the sensitive list. we've got scan the SAFTA Agreement rigorously, and apprehend that there's no such categorical demand. Any reductions created on the sensitive list ar discretionary, and despite the fact that a review of the list is needed each four years, a 'review' doesn't need a discount in it," he declared.

Within the ASEAN regime, that may be a way more sturdy FTA than SAFTA, as an example, there ar things that stay for good on a "highly sensitive list", he said, adding that any representatives of the govt of West Pakistan United Nations agency agrees to needless reductions of the sensitive list should apprehend that they'd be doing therefore with none legal demand, and would be violating the principle of keeping tier enjoying field that was set down within the aforesaid cupboard call, within the wake of the big subsidies given by the Indian government.

He steered that to effectively counter the big subsidies on agriculture before gap Wagha and granting NDMA/MFN to Asian country, the govt of West Pakistan should initial place in situ tariff rate quotas per crop that equal the grant given to every crop on the Indian facet, to make sure tier enjoying field. "The on top of steps should be verified by FAP, representing the agri-sector. Once that's done, we tend to may move forward on negotiating a separate agri-trade agreement for bilateral trade with Asian country," he added.

It has been discovered within the letter that granting NDMA means Wagah ought to still be closed to all or any Indian merchandise, as a result of no different country's merchandise comes through Wahga. "Therefore, if all merchandise are restricted from Wagah, that might accommodates Non-Discriminatory Market Access. By granting Wagah access to over 137 Asian countryn merchandise would quantity to granting India even additional favourable terms than needed by a grant of NDMA/MFN. Granting Wagah access to over the present agriculture things can considerably weaken Pakistan's economy, and already beleaguered agriculture sector," he said.

Tariq declared that Congress Party is probably going to lose within the coming elections in {india|India|Republic of Asian country|Bharat|Asian country|Asian nation} thus the agriculture sector powerfully opposes granting NDMA/MFN to India notably once the new Indian government is merely few months away and will lift any concessions that ar given to West Pakistan by the outgoing Congress government. 'At this juncture, National Tariff Commission (NTC) doesn't nevertheless have the capability or provisions to effectively counter unfair trade practices like the anticipated selling and significant subsidisation of agricultural merchandise by the Indian facet,' he said.

Before giving any longer trade concessions to the Indian facet, he same the Ministry of Commerce should demonstrate that the NTC has the power, capability and therefore the powers to effectively defend Pakistan's agriculture from the anticipated onslaught of unfair Indian trade practices of selling and significant subsidization. "Since 2011, the Ministry of Commerce has acknowledged that the NTC lacks such capability, and nevertheless the NTC has not visibly improved. The Ministry of Commerce thus cannot in sensible conscience open Wagah or to over 137 things before it may build a strong NTC'.

Concluding Tariq same, though the agriculture sector isn't loth to trade with Asian country in an exceedingly structured, phased and effectively negotiated agreement, we tend to feel that the govt of West Pakistan has so far did not improve the capability of its establishments or place in provisions to afford required protection to its domestic sectors, to assist survive the anticipated onslaught of Indian agricultural turn out and product. 'Thus, till such time that the govt of West Pakistan demonstrates that it's serious concerning safeguarding Pakistan's domestic agriculture from unfair competition, we'll oppose any move for granting NDMA/MFN and additional gap of Wagah'.

Source Business Recorder 

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Food security under threat despite surplus food

Despite the country is enjoying surplus crops especially of wheat and rice, the food security seems extremely chaotic, as high inflation, declining income, unequal distribution of resources and stagnating domestic productivity are hampering attempts to achieve food security.
Experts are critically examining this situation giving a warning that the country’s food security is under threat due to the shallow approach of the economic managers.
Pakistan Agriculture Scientists Association Chairman Jamshed Iqbal Cheema said that there is a significant increase in the number of food insecure people in Pakistan, which now stands at 51 per cent of the total population as compared to about 22 per cent six years back; this is largely due to decline in agricultural production, especially in the Punjab, caused by ill-conceived policies.
He said that investment in agriculture sector not only ensures food security of any country but also help to produce a healthy nation besides promoting rule of law in the society. Farming is just not a profession but an effort to save 194 million people of Pakistan from hunger.
Keeping in view the population growth, Pakistan needs 50 percent more agricultural production by 2025 and it can only be done by strengthening the agricultural sector and promoting good agricultural practices for maximum per acre yield.
He was of the view that the government should reduce the input cost by waiving taxes on the inputs and bringing down diesel and electricity prices. He was of the view that it would enhance usage of quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and other inputs which would result in better production thus ensuring more grain for ever increasing population of Pakistan.
PASA Chairman believed that undernourished Pakistani population were reduced to two meals a days from three meals. Due to increase in input cost, the per head person cost of Pakistani has increased to Rs 3,000 per month, Cheema said and added that due to increase in this cost people were compromising their meals to manage the other day to day affairs.
He said average family size in Pakistan was 5.5 persons which mean a family have to spend Rs 16,500 per month to ensure three meals a day.
He regretted that Pakistan which is attributed as basically agricultural country lacks in provision of sufficient food and it is in the ranks of those countries which have low grains per capita for its citizens.
Agri Forum Pakistan Chairman, Ibrahim Mughal, while commenting on the food security in Pakistan said that it happened first time in the history of Pakistan that despite food surplus, shortage and price hike has been created several times during last one decade. While farmer is producing more and more wheat but not getting any benefit,” he commented.

Source: The Nation

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Pakistan participates in Fruit Logistica-2014 Fair in Berlin

As many as 13 Pakistani companies participated in the world's leading international fresh produce trade fair, Fruit Logistica-2014, this year in Berlin that ended on Saturday. Pakistani exhibitors were optimistic of substantial increase in export of fresh produce from Pakistan as they made good contacts with the international buyers of fruit and vegetable products.
Buyers from Russia showed keen interest in Pakistani potatoes whereas Pakistani mangoes have also made inroads into EU market with increase in shelf life through better processing technology and other corrective measures. Earlier, Pakistan Ambassador to Germany Abdul Basit visited Pakistan Pavilion along with Commercial Counsellor, Dr Erfa Iqbal and met with Pakistani exhibitors.
He also held a meeting with the delegation of mango growers and exporters of Pakistan, who put up their stalls under the umbrella of UNIDO and the USAID. Both the organisations are running projects of increasing income through improvement of quality and better yield and generating additional employment's in the major mango-growing areas of South Punjab and Northern Sind.
The Ambassador said the world's leading trade fair provides great opportunity for promotion, development and marketing of fresh fruit and vegetable products. He emphasised the need of intensive interaction between farmers and exporters to up-grade the quality and increase yield of fresh products. He said there is a growing market for Pakistani fruits, especially mangoes and Kinnow/mandarin. Pakistani exporters should give due importance to fruit processing and packaging for longer preservation of these perishable products, he added.
He urged the traders to spend sufficient amount of their income on research and development, which is essential to keep pace with the ever changing market trends. The exhibitors expressed their satisfaction over the arrangements made by the Commercial Section of the Pakistan Embassy and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. About 2,566 including 2,311 foreign exhibitors from 84 countries presented a comprehensive overview of all levels of fruit and vegetable production and marketing and more than 58,000 trade visitors from 130 countries visited the exhibition and made business contacts besides a large number of general public/end consumers.

Source: Business Recorder

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Pakistan becomes third largest exporter of dates

Pakistan has become the third largest country in the world that is exporting dates to the rest of the world and with proper attention and appropriate interventions this sector can flourish manifold. The date sector offers substantial opportunities for export, income and employment generation in addition to economic growth of the country, said an official of Ministry of Commerce and Textile while talking to APP here on Friday.
The annual production of dates in Pakistan is estimated at around 535,000 tonnes of which only 86,000 tonnes are exported and the rest are either consumed locally or perish, he informed.

Chief Executive Officer Harvest Trading Ahmad Jawad told media that Pakistani dates exports could be raised to $200 million from the current $28 million with proper processing and packaging. Since 1999, per acre yield of dates in Pakistan did not increase much, whereas world-wide production increased by 166 percent, he added.
Highlighting the problems, the CEO said the country lacked storage facilities and so exported some quantity of dates while the rest perish. Thus due to these problems the country had to import dates during the month of Ramzan. “Importers of dates such as Germany, Denmark, India, Nepal, USA, UK, Afghanistan and Canada are re-exporting Pakistani dates after quality enhancement and preparation of by-products, at a price that is four to six times higher than their import price,” said Jawad.
“Of the 300 varieties of dates produced in Pakistan, Begam Jangi of Balochistan, Aseel of Sindh and Dhakki of Dera Ismail Khan are the varieties which are sought after the world over due to their exotic taste,” said Jawad. He further said that dates could fetch many more millions of dollars if focus was given to value addition such as the use of dates in preparing date sweets, jams, chocolates and other products.
Even the damaged crop is used for medical purposes and date oil is fit for use in cosmetics. He maintained that the usage of dates increases during the winter season thus its price and demand surge. Another report by the USAID revealed that lack of awareness about the best farming practices, improper fruit handling techniques, and an absence of developed processing facilities are major constraints inhibiting profitable date production in Pakistan. Ghulam Farid, a date farm owner stated that usually the harvest season of dates starts in July in upper Sindh during the monsoon season; they remain safe due to lack of rain in these areas during harvesting.

^{Source: Business Recorder}

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How sell-off of PSM can be forestalled

Muhammad Zubair, minister of state for privatisation, said privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) can only be averted if PSM turns into profitable organisation. He was speaking at an interactive session on "Privatisation Policy and Priorities" organised by Pakistan- Korea Business and Friendship Council along with seven other business councils at a hotel here on Saturday.
He said that around 2500 employees in PSM were middle and inter pass and urged the participants to come forward and turn PSM around, if they want to stop its privatisation. He said that privatisation policy was aimed at avoiding heavy spending in public enterprises, adding that government was paying around Rs 500 billion per annum to run loss earning public organisations.
Zubair further said that if this amount was poured in health, education and other sectors, it would create a difference and added that people of Pakistan, who were entitled to get better services, were being burdened because of these loss earning public entities. He said that Nawaz government was committed to its privatisation policy and they had no IMF pressure in this regard. He said: "IMF has set milestones for its programme and government is striving to achieve it but it doesn''t mean that we are taking dictations from IMF".
In his welcome address, Ahsan Mukhtar Zubairi, chairman Pakistan Korea- Business and Friendship Council said that state owned enterprises (SOEs) were inefficient and generally slow in responding to public demands. On the other hand, private sector is driven by profit motive and it becomes ruthless in the pursuit of personal gain and profit. A proper balance needs to be struck between public interest and profit, he urged.
He said that Pakistan had experimented with privatisation during the last three decades. Over a 100 state owned enterprises have been sold to the private sector during the last 30 years. Many of these do not exist any more. Mostly expensive real estates have been sold at exorbitant profits and the state and the public have been deprived. Many SOEs have been sold at throw away prices. The case of HBL, UBL, ABL and PTCL can not be forgotten. The Privatisation Commission (PC) had followed all procedures well but government was deprived of its valuable assets, he said. Some privatisation''s have also gone well such as MCB and only a few others.

^{Source: Business Recorder}

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Pakistan among top Asian states in illicit tobacco consumption

Pakistan is among top Asian countries in the consumption of illicit tobacco with highest number of 21.8 billion illicit cigarettes consumed in the country annually. Referring to a 'Asia-11 Illicit Tobacco Indicator 2012' study by Oxford Economics, experts said on Monday that the figures and data has been mentioned in the said study.
In the reporting year, the domestic illicit use was 18.8 billion cigarettes, whereas the non-domestic consumption of illicit cigarettes stands at 3 billion, which is much lower than the domestic use. The non-duty paid cigarettes contribute to rise in tobacco consumption by making cigarettes cheaper and more accessible. This makes it more attractive, especially to people who are price sensitive, such as youth and the poor. It also allows cigarettes to be sold as singles instead of packs, or from non-regulated outlets that make it more accessible to youth.
On the other hand the study indicates that the countries with a sharp rise in taxes on legal tobacco brands than the countries with low taxes have the high ratio of illicit consumption.
Heavy taxation on the legal tobacco brands (high tax paying industry) is ultimately promoting the illicit tobacco industry thus allowing criminals and opportunists to get a chance to sell their counterfeit products on cheap rates, which attracts the customers with low purchasing power.
The main factors contributing to the problem include an unbalanced fiscal policy, heavy taxation, protectionist policy measures, corruption, weak enforcement, lack of official controls in free zones, inadequate legislation and sanctions, growth in illegal distribution networks and public tolerance of the illicit trade in tobacco products.
According to the Oxford Economics study, due to illicit tobacco trade, Pakistan loses tax revenues of over Rs 27 billion per year.
Recently, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has initiated an advertisement campaign in the media to create awareness about the illegal and smuggled tobacco brands. It is an encouraging effort but the FBR should focus more on developing a comprehensive enforcement strategy to curb illegal tobacco trade, they said.
The sale and purchase of smuggled Pine and other smuggled packs including Esse, Mild 88, More, Camel and Sense are illegal and attract penalties of confiscation of cigarettes, fine of up to Rs 50, 000, recovery equal to 500 per cent of unpaid taxes and imprisonment up to five years. The FBR's agency has launched many similar campaigns against illicit cigarette brands, especially against Pine, which is in high demand amongst Pakistani smokers because it is an imported brand easily available at below the minimum price set by the FBR at Rs 34 for a pack of 20.'Cricket' is a recent example of a duty-evading cigarette brand that is being sold at Rs 12. This also raises the question how the brand was being sold even below the minimum excise duty, which stands at Rs 17.6 per pack and should be payable to the national exchequer.
If the government is serious in curbing this illegitimate business, it needs to develop comprehensive anti-illicit trade policies and pay particular attention to the involvement of all relevant government agencies like Customs, Ministries of Finance, Health, Justice and Trade, to ensure alignment and commitment to achieving the same goals, they added.

News Source     I News Collected: agrinfobank.com Team

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Major agribusiness conference kicks off in Taipei

Wednesday, July-17-2013

The Asian Productivity Organization’s food and agribusiness conference got underway July 15 in Taipei City, further underscoring Taiwan’s growing role in global agriculture biotechnology.

Close to 100 industry participants, government officials and academics from 13 APO member countries are attending the four-day gathering, billed by the ROC Council of Agriculture as the largest major international agricultural research event hosted by Taiwan in recent years.

Other attendees include representatives from India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as experts from the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions.

A total of 16 international and domestic specialists have been invited to share their insights into emerging trends, experiences in strategy formulation and knowledge of agribiotech application to food production. Discussion topics include the risks and management of applying biotechnology to food production and the ecosystem, as well as fostering the application of biotechnology by small and medium producers, the COA said.

On the final day of the conference, participants will visit the Bio Taiwan 2013. Kicking off July 18 at Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall in Taipei City, the biotechnology show offers an added opportunity for specialists from abroad to better understand Taiwan’s strength in this field, the COA added.

Established in 1961, Japan-based APO aims to contribute to the sustainable socioeconomic development of the Asia-Pacific through enhancing productivity. The ROC was a founding member of the organization, which has grown to include 20 countries. (SDH)

Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw

Source: Taiwan Today

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Pakistan, Ukraine need to share experience in agriculture

June 19, 2013

Pakistan could make tremendous progress in agriculture by sharing and engaging in public-private sector dialogue on the subject with Ukraine. This was stated by Engr M A Jabbar, Honorary Consul of Ukranie in Karachi on his return on Monday night after participating in the annual business conference held in Kyiv, Ukranie from June 13-15.
The official businessmen delegation led by Jabbar returned after enriching with the knowledge pertaining to the consideration of economic developments and allied features thereof in developing different segments of the economy in their own specific needs for affecting the overall growth and development supported by infrastructure and targeted subsidised measures.
Talking to Business Recorder, he said that the model could always provide inputs for considering structuring of developments of economic management in Pakistan. This benefit will help the delegates to prepare and fine tune their working as recommendations for the Ministry of Commerce and other ministries in considering the local trajectory of development which may be similar in most of the cases and may be amended for adoption due to increased sense and obligations of conducting the trade in the international trading rule on similar grounds providing very few exceptions including for Pakistan.
Ukraine, he said was preparing for free trade, customs union agreements which experiences together gave in sight of dismantling of barriers in the way of trade, harmonise the legislative work and adopt the legal courses of others so that the cohesion became the basis of generating level playing field for conducting trade and business in just & fair way to benefit bilateral, plulateral and multilateral trading amongst the signatory partners. Pakistan has similar situation to conduct the research on experiences of others for possible gainful adoptions in the interest of required economic developments.
Delegates of Pakistan, he said had the pleasure of the meeting the Prime Minister of Ukraine on the reception day and his imparting knowledge also provided a basis of better understanding of the Ukrainian approach for considering modifications in our own structural approaches for denting the flexibility to seek better way of considering recommendation of economic management required by the public sector of Pakistan.
Engr Jabbar said the conference was attended by the President of chambers of different countries as well as by Ukraine Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The presence of American Business Chamber of Commerce and Industry, former President of European Parliament, Prime Ministers of Montenegro, Lithuania and many other high profile positioned persons from abroad and from within graced the occasion as interventionists, discussants, panellist which together provided a knowledge to the delegates from Pakistan sufficient enough to consider the appropriate recommendations and move forward in preparing suggestions of political economy specific to Pakistan by just reformation of the domestic input requirements of total frame work consideration by such high profile business minds sharing their views in the annual conference.
He said that on the development needs of Ukraine for agriculture, the same could act as an advisory compulsion to engage public and private sector dialogues between both countries to improve our agriculture. Pakistan is agri economy, which generates the agri value added textile and needs to increase it's per acre yield as well as needs to improve quality of agri produce to comply the importing requirements of the country on sanitary and phytosanitary barriers. Ukraine is doing so and we can share the same with the Ukrainian experiences as how they are making settlements of sanitary and phytosanitary barriers.
He said every 11th ton of grain in the world market came from Ukraine with the population of 45 million people. The Prime Minister made a statement that the government will support almost all branches of agriculture as a part of national economic development intensification programme for 2013-14. The exports of Ukraine in 2012 climbed by 40 percent with share of agriculture in GDP registering 11 percent.
Pakistan with the agriculture share of 23 percent of the GDP struggles for food security and yet to access to meet requirements of improvements in exports and value add the agri produce through allied industries which again remains to be achieved and strategize as a policy paradigm. The Ukraine trade in grain is 9.2 percent of the world grain trade. With agriculture exports reaching 22 billion US dollar a year affecting the increase in the budget revenues.
The most interesting panel discussion revolved around "Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Zone between Ukraine and the EU: Prospects for business and investments" and "Development of the Customs Union and economic integration of CIS countries: Prospects for the Ukrainian business".
Both these discussion had a diversified approaches which would give an advantage to understand the over and under advantages of conducting free trade with either of the block or concluding to prefer the one block over another block. Engr Jabbar said the state programme of Ukraine was to include taking measures to balance state finances with real capacity of the economy and to prevent economically unreasonable tax deductions. Pakistan may consider following this base line. It also includes introduction of mechanisms for remote liaison between taxpayer and competent authorities, which Pakistan as a policy has been making advocacy for real implementation.
It also includes approval of law under which business operations that fall under minor or average risk level may terminate under a relevant court decision only, which we also in Pakistan need to improve the business management and governance by protecting the apprehended risks. The Prime Minister of Ukraine has offered to businessmen that government is open for ongoing dialogue with business to commonly find additional measures required to improve business conditions. "We in Pakistan should also develop our integration with high offices of public sector so that continuation of dialogue as per changing environment becomes result oriented to positively affect trade and business in Pakistan.
We have learnt a lot out of panel discussions on "Presentation and discussion on the participation of business and investors in the implementation of the State activation program of the economic development of Ukraine for 2013-14." He said that 73 measures with specific directions as smoothening and catalysts to increase the trade and business were worth considering for customised needs of Pakistan, he said.

Source:http://www.brecorder.com

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Mushroom Farming: The Fungal Goldmine

By Muhammad Zeeshan Farid & Dr Amjad Farooq

A global trend in agriculture has been a shift away from simple systems that rely on traditional crops, to those that increasingly seek new varieties of plants that cater to advanced dietary needs. To this end, scientists and growers have recommended several new crops that can augment the spectrum of agricultural produce.

Mushrooms, known locally as “khumbi”, are among this emerging cropping system. Mushrooms are essentially fungi, a group of organisms distinct from plants, animals and bacteria. They convert inedible plant waste into palatable food, which is savoured due to its biting texture and flavour. They form a complete diet as mushrooms contain essential vitamins and minerals, and are the best substitute for protein. They also contain traces of carbohydrates and fat.

Dr Amjad Farooq works as an assistant professor at the Department of Horticulture of the PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi. He explains that, according to estimates, there are more than 1,500 types of mushrooms found on planet earth – some of them are edible, but others are poisonous. The four most popular types are the button or European mushroom, the Japanese mushroom, the Chinese mushroom and the oyster mushroom. The best quality mushrooms available in Pakistan are the oyster mushroom, the white mushroom, the golden oyster mushroom, the phoenix (grey) oyster mushroom and the pink oyster mushroom. These strains grow all over the country, and are available usually after the monsoon season.

Mushrooms can be cultivated between October and March. Cultivation does not require land and can be grown in small houses and huts as a part-time activity. Mushroom cultivation does not require full time-labour, and all family members can look after different operations easily. There are two modes of propagation for a mushroom crop: open-air field cultivation and controlled cultivation.

After seven days of cultivation, small pin-like heads emerge from the mushroom, which turn into more mushrooms after three to five days. Branches which grow five to seven inches long, called flushes, are removed from the plants and dried. These can be used in cooking, or can be sold in the market. Flushes keep regenerating from the plant after every ten days of the removal of old ones: the cycle is very short, and as a result, highly productive.

“A single flush or branch of mushroom can yield more than half a kilogramme (kg) of edible food after each week for three months,” says Dr Muhammad Nadeem, from the Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

Thus, 100 beds of mushroom can yield more than 120kg of mushrooms a week. At the rate of Rs150 per kg, they can generate a lump sum profit of Rs18,000 a week, or Rs72,000 in a month. Dr Nadeem says the “production of mushrooms touches approximately 1.5 million tons in the world, while about 90 tons of mushrooms are exported to Europe from Pakistan every year.”

Oyster mushrooms currently sell for around $6 a pound in the US. A growing area of around 200 square feet can produce 800 pounds per crop; or 5,000 pounds of mushrooms per year. This is worth almost $30,000 at current prices. It’s clear that growing oyster mushrooms for profit is a great way to make some extra cash.

However, it should be kept in mind that, given the large variety of poisonous strains of mushrooms, spawn should be developed only under the supervision of experts. It is available at the UAF, the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute and other government research stations.

Farmers who wish to cultivate mushrooms should book spawn well before the cultivation season, because it may not be readily available during the peak demand period. The UAF laboratory has developed some thermo-tolerant strains of the most widely grown button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus cystidiosus).

As basic training is required for profitable mushroom cultivation, the Continuing Education Department of the UAF offers a short course suited for farmers. Furthermore, the UAF’s Mushroom Lab can be contacted for guidance and information, and it can give proper suggestions and recommendations to those willing to invest in this lucrative business.

Source: The express tribune

Published on: 10/01/2012

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UK scientists discover ripening control protein

Scientists at Leicester University in the UK have discovered a protein that ripens fruits early and could boost their value and sales dramatically.
The finding would enable farmers to accelerate or delay the ripening of entire fruits to prevent them falling victim to unseasonal weather.
The researchers have applied for a patent and are planning to test their discovery on tomatoes, bell peppers and citrus fruits.

They demonstrated for the first time that a regulatory system that governs how proteins are broken down in plant cells also affects chloroplasts – structures that control photosynthesis.

Using thale cress they showed that altering a particular gene could change the speed with which chloroplasts transform into other structures in plant cells, including those involved in the ripening of fruit.
Testing the mechanism on crop plants will prove whether it could one day be used commercially to ensure fruit always ripens at the right time, the researchers explain.
“We are already transferring the work into tomatoes. So I would think, within a year, we will know whether or not it is going to work in principle," project leader Paul Jarvis says.
"It is incredible to get to this point – it has been a long journey. We have known for some time that this was going to be a big breakthrough.”
Because the same regulatory system governs various other aspects of plant development, such as how quickly leaves age, it could also be used for other purposes such as keeping crops alive for longer periods, he says.

Source: Fresh Plaza
Published on: 11/23/2012

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Mango: US, Japanese markets to remain out of reach

Production is likely to stand around 1.2 million tons of mangoes against the production of 1.7 million tons recorded during the previous season.

Pakistan, which is going to start exporting mangoes by May 25, is likely to remain shut out of the lucrative US and Japanese markets.

Despite initiatives taken by the All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to introduce Pakistani mangoes in US and Japanese markets, export of the fruit to these countries remain unlikely this year because of the lack of a well-equipped fruit treatment facility in the country.

The country is also estimated to be facing a 30% loss in production due to climatic changes in the country. Production is likely to stand around 1.2 million tons of mangoes against the production of 1.7 million tons recorded during the previous season.

Last year, 0.134 million tons of mango were exported, generating revenues of at least $38 million, according to PFVA co-Chairman Waheed Ahmed. This year, the target was fixed at 0.15 million tons, with estimated revenues of $50 million.

The reduction in production, he said, was mainly because of climatic changes which affected mango trees in Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas and Mityari in Sindh; and Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Shuja Abad, Muzaffar Garh and Khanewal in Punjab.

Japan last year approved the mangoes tested through a small VHT facility in the country; but it is not viable to use the same facility for commercial purposes because of its limited functionality and capacity. Thus, exports to Tokyo remain a distant dream, Ahmed said.

The absence of a quarantine facility in the country is also not favourable to exporters; as no exporter wishes to risk sending an entire consignment to the US before quality approval, while also bearing the huge freight cost, he said.

A proposal for the setting up of a commercial processing plant and a common facility centre has already been sent to the Ministry of Commerce, but the ministry has yet to take a step in this regard.

Beside the two important foreign markets, the country is also losing the market in Iran because of sanctions imposed by the US, as commercial banks are reluctant to be involved in financial transactions in this regard. Iran is regarded as a valuable market in terms of prompt payment for imported fruits; existing exports or smuggling will not benefit the country in terms of revenue, Waheed said.

He also revealed that a delegation from Australia was due to visit Pakistan this month to inspect mango farms and processing units in the country. The opening of Australian markets for the Pakistani mango – expected during this year – will be an important development for the country’s fruit exporters.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2012.

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What Is Agribusiness?

 

In short, agribusiness is the business of farming. However, the word is a loaded term, especially among critics of corporate farming. For people who view large-scale commercial farming negatively, agribusiness is the antithesis of traditional small-scale family farms. For people involved in it, of course, the word is simply a convenient shorthand for saying that one is in the business of agriculture.

Agribusiness includes the production, processing, and supply of agricultural goods that range from lettuce to corn syrup. Companies may focus on things like cut flowers, fresh vegetables, or byproducts of farming such as fuels derived from farm waste. Agribusiness also encompasses farming equipment, machinery, chemicals, suppliers, and personnel. Several large companies control the bulk of the share of business, especially in the United States; this has been a cause for criticism among people who are concerned about monopolies and price fixing.

Several things characterize agribusiness, differentiating it very distinctively from family farming. The first is the scale, which is typically quite large. The second is considerable vertical and horizontal integration. For example, a company might own a facility that processes frozen vegetables, along with a controlling share in farms which produce these vegetables and companies which provide personnel to harvest and transport them. Agribusiness is also distinguished by being run like a true business, with administrators rather than farmers at the helm of companies in the agriculture business.

This highly efficient and streamlined organization allows agribusiness to keep food costs low. This is an important priority for many consumers and governments, who also appreciate its standardization, which is in theory supposed to limit the possibility of food borne contamination and other issues with the food supply.

The rise of agribusiness began in the 20th century, when citizens of countries in the developed world began flocking to their cities, leaving a shrinking population of farmers struggling to meet the demand for food. Over time, agricultural companies arose, using their size and business experience as leverage to create a highly efficient system of farming and transporting agricultural goods. One major criticism of agribusiness is that it has been too successful, driving down price points and forcing small farms out of business as they cannot compete with big firms.

Critics have also expressed concerns about a heavy focus on chemicals to control problems which arise on farms. Pesticides, herbicides, and a variety of pharmaceuticals are all often a big part of agribusiness, for example. It also distances people from the source of their food, as any glance at the produce section at a major market will confirm; rather than meeting food producers, people can purchase grapes from Chile, peppers from Africa, and rice from China.

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Cornucopia Institute reveals agribusiness conspiracy to mislead consumers over almonds Monday, April 09, 2007 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor of NaturalNews.com The Cornucopia Institute, a non-profit organization that promotes honest food and sustainable farming practices, has revealed details of the USDA's conspiracy with agribusiness interests to mislead consumers over the sterilization of almonds. A press release from the Cornucopia Institute, reprinted below, explains that new rules concerning the pasteurization of almonds are an "inside job," made without any real opportunity for public comment. The new rules requiring all California almonds to be pasteurized would also place a heavy financial burden on small growers and family farms, ultimately putting many of them out of business, further concentrating control of the food supply in the hands of a few powerful corporations. The Cornucopia Institute is concerned about the general trend towards the secretive processing of foods with chemicals or radiation, without honest labeling. The USDA and agricubusiness interests are right now plotting to allow irradiated food to be labeled "pasteurized," with no indication whatsoever of them being subjected to radiation. The purpose of this deception is to deny consumers information about how their foods have been processed, tricking them into purchasing irradiated foods that they might normally avoid. "USDA is being run lock, stock, and barrel by agribusiness and has abandoned its duty to protect the public and the farming community. This USDA decision, along with FDA's long-standing refusal to label genetically engineered food, and its recent decision to attempt to label irradiated foods as "pasteurized," is a conscious effort by the Administration to leave consumers in the dark about the dangers lurking in their food." - Andrew Kimbrell, the Director of the Center for Food Safety Action item: Write the USDA To help consumers take action against this assault on raw almonds and honest food labeling, the Cornucopia Institute has posted a sample letter that may be used to file a comment or complaint with the USDA. Click here to download the sample letter (.DOC format). Be sure to modify the letter to state your complaint or comment in your own words. The address to send it to is included in the letter. Here is the full press release from the Cornucopia Institute: USDA and Agribusiness Conspire to Mislead Consumers "Raw" Almonds Must Soon be Steam-Heated or Treated with Toxic Chemical CORNUCOPIA, WI: Small-scale farmers, retailers, and consumers are outraged over a new federal regulation that will require all almonds grown in California to be sterilized with various "pasteurization" techniques. The rule, which the USDA quietly developed in response to outbreaks of Salmonella in 2001 and 2004, traced to raw almonds, mandates that all almonds undergo a sterilization process that includes chemical and / or high-temperature treatments. Although the final rule was just published in the Federal Register, The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group, is asking the USDA to reopen the proceeding for public comment. Cornucopia contends that the rule was never effectively announced to the public, and that the reasoning behind both the necessity and safety of the sterilization processes should be questioned before the rule goes into effect this September. "The new rule is unwarranted and could have many harmful impacts," said Mark Kastel, senior farm policy analyst at Cornucopia. "The costs of the chemical and heat treatments, in addition to the costs of transporting and recording the new procedures, will be especially onerous on small-scale and organic farmers, and could force many out of business." The only exemption to these new regulations will be organic "raw" almonds that will not be fumigated, but will undergo the steam-heat treatment, and small-scale growers who can sell truly raw almonds but only direct to the public from farm stands. Although foodborne illnesses have garnered headlines in recent years, including contamination of California-grown spinach and lettuce, raw produce and nuts are not inherently risky foods. Contamination occurs when livestock manure or fecal matter is inadvertently transferred to food through contaminated water, soil, or transportation and handling equipment. Raw foods can also be infected by poor employee sanitation either on the farm or in processing facilities. Glenn Anderson, a small-scale organic almond farmer in the central valley of California, worries that "This could be one more way for the big companies and the government to put us small farmers out of business." The equipment to sterilize almonds is very expensive. A propylene oxide chamber costs $500,000 to $1,250,000, and a roasting line can cost as much as $1,500,000 to $2,500,000. Anderson also questions the scientific logic behind the rule. He and some other growers believe that the sustainable farming methods they use, such as mowing and mulching, rather than controlling weeds by chemical herbicide applications, protect biodiversity and naturally prevent the spread of harmful bacteria more effectively than the artificial process of pasteurization (sterilization) -- which attempts to mitigate contamination after the fact. According to growers practicing sustainable farming methods, the USDA plan ignores the root causes of food contamination -- the dangerous and unsustainable farming practices on industrial farms. Consumers who oppose the new regulation also worry about its impact on the quality and nutrition of pasteurized almonds, since the Almond Board of California (a marketing arm of the USDA) has conducted the only study on the practice. Their research concluded that "there was no significant degradation in the quality" of the almonds. "The validity of these findings is questionable given the vested interests of the research panel," Kastel stated. The most common method of sterilizing almonds is by propylene oxide fumigation. Propylene oxide is a genotoxic chemical and is listed as a possible carcinogen by the International Agency on Cancer Research. In lab experiments, the chemical leads to gene mutation, DNA strand breaks, and neoplastic cell transformation. It is listed as a "possible" carcinogen because no long-term studies have been done with humans. Its use for treating food for human consumption is banned in the European Union, Canada, Mexico, and most other countries. It is The Cornucopia Institute's contention that even if independent research concludes that treated almonds are in fact safe, labeling them as "raw" is misleading and deceptive to consumers, many of whom wish to purchase truly raw, unprocessed almonds. "Raw foods are increasingly in demand. The new rule is another case of the public being deprived the opportunity to intelligently choose their food supply," said Jimbo Someck, who owns and operates four of the country’s leading independent natural food stores, in the San Diego area. The new regulation to sterilize almonds coincides with the recent announcement by the Food and Drug Administration that it intends to relax its labeling requirements for irradiated food. The FDA proposal will also allow irradiation, the controversial ionization process, to be called pasteurization -- a reference that is troubling many food safety watchdogs. "Consumers deserve to know how their food has been processed," said Food and Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. "Mislabeling irradiated food as 'pasteurized' or treated food as 'raw' is an industry attempt to make consumers buy products that they otherwise might avoid." In light of heightened public concern, the Cornucopia Institute has appealed to USDA Secretary Mike Johannes to postpone implementation of the new regulatory requirements and reopen the almond docket to public comment. Only 18 public comments -- all from the almond industry -- were received on the proposal. Unlike consumers, retailers, or other organizations concerned with food safety, all almond handlers received a personal letter or fax from the USDA alerting them to the sterilization proposal and inviting them to comment. "The industry and the USDA tried to slip this through quietly, under the radar, without adequate public scrutiny," Cornucopia's Kastel lamented. "We are asking the Secretary of a unit of government that Abraham Lincoln referred to as the ‘People's Department’ to intervene so concerned citizens can have a say. The close collaboration, away from the eyes of the citizens and the media, we are sure, is not something the Secretary will feel good about." An action alert with instructions for contacting the USDA, and a sample letter interested consumers can send to the USDA and California Almond Board, can be found on the Cornucopia Institute Website: www.cornucopia.org According to Andrew Kimbrell, the Director of the Center for Food Safety, "The decision to foist fumigants on unsuspecting almond consumers is just another example of an agency out of control." Adds Kimbrell, "USDA is being run lock, stock, and barrel by agribusiness and has abandoned its duty to protect the public and the farming community. This USDA decision, along with FDA’s long-standing refusal to label genetically engineered food, and its recent decision to attempt to label irradiated foods as "pasteurized," is a conscious effort by the Administration to leave consumers in the dark about the dangers lurking in their food." FDA regulations currently require that all single-ingredient foods that have been irradiated and are sold by retailers must be labeled as "treated with irradiation" and must display the radura symbol. A comprehensive fact sheet on the almond issue can be viewed at www.cornucopia.org/Almond_FactSheet.pdf and a sample letter for interested individuals to send to the USDA can be found at www.cornucopia.org/Almond_SampleLetter.doc The Cornucopia Institute (www.Cornucopia.org) is dedicated to the fight for economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy, and economic development, our goal is to empower farmers both politically and through marketplace initiatives. Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/021783_the_USDA_food_labeling.html#ixzz2FQBXMr00

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