The government on Tuesday assured farmers that there is ample supply of urea available in the market and advised them against panic buying.
According to a recent report, urea fertilizer is being sold in the market at the rate of Rs. 2,300 per bag, much above the government rate of Rs. 1,768 per bag.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Minister for Industries and Production, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, said that the price of urea in the international market was Rs. 11,000 per bag which was being sold in Pakistan for around Rs. 1,800 per bag. The minister added that due to the huge price gap, some elements are trying to interfere and make a profit.
The minister pointed out that the production of urea is expected to be 11 percent higher compared to the Rabi season of the previous year. The production during the previous Rabi season stood at 3 million metric tonnes whereas the production during the current Rabi season is expected to be around 3.3 million metric tonnes by the time the season concludes on March 31.
He added that this was only possible through the revision of the merit order for gas supply, which led to an increase in gas supply to the fertilizer industry.
The minister revealed that the government was tracking urea distribution and supply closely. He said that the urea dealers were trying to exploit farmers and therefore in the weekly fertilizer review meeting the price of urea was reduced to Rs1,768 per bag. The committee also noted that there was enough stock of urea for the Rabi season.
