ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Industries and Production and National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain chaired a high-level meeting to review the supply chain of fertilizers and issues related to prices.
The meeting was attended by Syed Khurshid Shah, Syed Naveed Qamar, Nawab Yousuf Talpur, Fatahullah Khan, Rasheed Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Moeen Watto, Ahmed Raza Maneka and Chaudhry Iftikhar Nazir.
Federal Secretary for Food Security Muhammad Fakhar-e-Alam and Federal Secretary for Industries and Production Wasim Ajmal Chaudhry also participated in the meeting.
The Chief of NFDC briefed the committee on the availability of urea and the price statistics in the market.
Upon the directive of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, a high-level committee had been recently formed comprising members of the National Assembly. The committee will assess the supply chain and pricing determinants and present its recommendations.
Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said government is ensuring uninterrupted supply of urea during the sowing season. Efforts are also being made to control black marketing and ensure fair pricing, he added.
To guarantee the supply chain, two hundred thousand metric tons of urea is being imported. The ECC and the cabinet have given their approval in this regard, the minister said.
Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said Ministry of Industries and Commerce will ensure that imports are done at appropriate rates. The protection of farmers’ interests remains a top priority, he said, adding various recommendations were presented by members of the National Assembly in this regard.
MNA Moeen Watto said complaints are being received regarding urea companies and dealers that they are tying-up sales of DAP with urea. He said transparency in the sale of fertilizers is vital and strict actions will be taken against dealers who violate regulations.
The meeting stressed on providing urea to farmers at reasonable prices without any delay. Exploiting farmers will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Rana Tanveer also directed the Industries Secretary to meet with fertilizer companies to ensure a secure supply chain. It is crucial to separate DAP sales from urea, he stressed.
The committee will hold another meeting soon to present final recommendations in this regard.
