Agriculture Corner

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Growers’ body urges new government to declare agriculture its top priority

5 days ago

Representatives of Growers’ organizations have urged the incoming government to declare agriculture as its top priority for strengthening and improvement in the national economy which will lead to providing new job opportunities and eradication of poverty from the rural areas. Agri Forum Pakistan (AFP) Chairman Dr Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal while talking to media persons here on Tuesday said the new rulers should adopt agriculture as their strategy for developing the country and strengthening the national economy. He added that new [...]

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Rains affect wheat, chaff, cotton severely

LAHORE: The recent rain badly damaged 0.2 million maund wheat, 0.5 million maund chaff and cotton sown on an area of 0.2 million acres, according to a survey by the Pakistan Agri Forum. Pakistan Agri Forum Chairman Dr Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal expressed these views while talking to APP Sunday. Mughal said that according to reports received from district presidents of the forum, the storm and rains had affected wheat, chaff, and cotton severely. He said that the cotton seed which [...]

March 28, 2013 11:31 am

Climate Change and it’s impacts on Mango flowering & fruit

Since last 4 days Sindh is experiencing cloudy weather, with considerable day & night temp variations, increased humidity and variation in wind directions one day south & on next day from North or mix of all in morning & in evening. Results Powdery Mildews outbreak, Blossom blight/Anthracnose outbreak, mango hopper and thrips outbreaks. Apart from climate other factors that have contributed are: Increased moisture due to flood irrigation @ fruit set for longer period of time Vegetation & flowering @ [...]

January 30, 2013 10:26 am

Sanctions severely hit Kinnow exports to Iran

International sanctions against Iran have severely hit Pakistan’s Kinnow exports to that country. Iran had been a large buyer of Pakistani Kinnow and used to import around 60 to 70 thousand tons of fruit but due to sanctions this lucrative market is going to be closed permanently. Pakistan, though a major citrus producer, is still lagging behind in modern techniques when it comes to enhancing the value of citrus exports. Out of a total of two million tons of citrus [...]

January 14, 2013 8:38 am

Steep fall in Basmati exports

Exports of Basmati rice are falling as production is down, local consumption is up and prices are higher than last year. All this is happening at a time when competition with India has become tougher and its exporters have captured large parts of Pakistan’s traditional markets. According to the Chairman of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Mr Jawed Ali Ghori, exports of Basmati fell more than fifty per cent in July-December 2012 to about 240,000 tonnes from 507,000 tonnes [...]

January 12, 2013 9:08 am

Vegetable retailers fleecing consumers

Wholesalers have claimed normal price movement at Subzi Mandi, but said the retailers pushed up the prices by at least 10-20 per cent in the last one week. Neither the federal nor the provincial government have any time to check the profiteering as in posh localities the retailers have their own mechanism of making windfall. Even the city administration is not serious to check their profit margin. Consumers said that retailers started charging higher rates attributing the increase to surging [...]

January 9, 2013 9:03 am

Wheat flour price raised by Rs 170 per 20-kg bag

Flour mills and wholesalers have increased wheat flour price by Rs 170 per 20-kg bag. Consumers and retailers told Business Recorder on Tuesday that masses are compelled to purchase low quality flour at higher prices due to deceptive marketing practices by flour mills, wholesalers in connivance with the authorities concerned. The government is providing wheat from its stocks to mills at Rs 1,125 per 40-kg or Rs 28.25 per kg, while mills are selling per 20-kg bag of flour at [...]

January 5, 2013 9:28 am

Wheat flour price surges by Rs 7 per kg

ABDUL RASHEED AZAD The price of wheat flour registered a significant increase of Rs 7 per kg and Rs 110 per 20-kilogram bag across the country, traders and flour millers said. According to them, prices have been increased because of the reduction in wheat quota by provincial food departments to mills. Traders said that flour-millers were selling the commodity at arbitrary prices, saying that they were increasing wheat flour price almost on a daily basis, forcing retailer to sell it [...]

December 27, 2012 8:27 am

Domestic urea prices far below global levels

The spokesman criticises the government for not honouring its gas supply contracts with the fertiliser manufacturers. LAHORE: Fertiliser manufacturers have insisted that they have kept urea prices significantly below international levels and provided a benefit of Rs365 billion to farmers in the past five years, despite the fact that four fertiliser plants have suffered hefty losses in the last two years due to lack of gas supply. A spokesperson for the Fertiliser Manufacturers Pakistan Advisory Council (FMPAC), in a statement, [...]

December 16, 2012 5:43 am

Pakistan may Start importing Indian Tractors next year

Unlike a lot of industries, the local tractor industry is not war of opening of trade with India. In fact, it is looking forward to it. Universal Traders are in talks with an Indian counterpart to start importing tractors to Pakistan once the negative list is phased out and trade with India opens up next year. Escorts Limited and Universal Tractors of Pakistan will collaborate next year to import 7,500 tractors. It is interesting that the two companies have been [...]