October 29, 2007	Monday	Shawwal 16, 1428

LAHORE, Oct 28: Farmers from southern Punjab on Sunday demanded the formation of an inquiry commission to probe into what they called, an “emerging cotton crisis”, which could cut the yield by two million bales, cost the nation Rs60 billion and hit textile and edible oil industries badly.

At a meeting, sponsored by the AgriForum Pakistan (AFP) here, they said “official mismanagement” regarding supply of seed and pesticides, pest scouting and replacement of cotton crop with sugarcane in the cotton belt would widen the trade deficit this year.

The management fiascos would reduce the figure by at least two million bales against a target of 14.14 million bales and the country may not go beyond 12.14 million bales, they said. The textile industry needed at least 15 million bales for its export and local requirements. The gap would be bridged by importing three million bales, they said.

The loss does not stop here but also includes two more areas; edible oil supply and livestock fodder.

The reduction in production would also reduce the supply of cotton-seed by at least 100,000 tons to the edible oil industry, they said, adding that another Rs10 billion to the import bill.

Rao Muhammad Afsar, a cotton grower from Rajanpur, said: “Plant population was low this year because of the poor quality seed. All cotton farmers have been crying about the importance and non-availability of quality seed, but in vain. Though seed crisis is not new to farmers, but its effects have been magnified by other factors like pest-attack and non-availability and high prices of pesticides.

Farmers want to buy high-quality seed if someone supplies it and only the government can ensure it, because no other agency is capable of supplying good quality seed to all farmers. If all government departments cannot ensure even supply of good quality seed, it is better to close them and subsidise farmers with saved money.”

Bilal Isreal Khan, another cotton grower from southern Punjab, criticised governmental departments — Central Plant Protection and Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) – for their poor performance. He said if these departments could not ensure on-time import of even basic pesticides, what was the good of these departments. This year, when mealy bug hit the crop, the most essential pesticides went missing, he said.

“The most tragic part of the story is that it repeats itself every year, and does so with complete impunity - with no fear of official action. For how long the government expects farmers to put up with this situation?” he questioned.

AgriForum Chairman Ibrahim Mughal said since most of the damage had been wreaked on the Punjab, which supplied 75 per cent crop, the government of Punjab should immediately form an inquiry commission to ascertain all acts of omission and commission in the crop (mis)management. Such a commission will not only find causes of this year’s crisis but also alert those who can ignore the crop in future, he said.

There must be a national commission to probe into the matter, but the Punjab should take the lead, as it was the major victim, he demanded.

“The farmers belonging to the forum tried to reach some politicians but all of them seem to have got busy with forthcoming elections,” he said.

No one is sparing time to listen to farmers, leave alone looking into crisis and finding solutions.”