Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Thursday, while chairing a high-level follow-up meeting to review the supply and demand of fertilizer in the country directed to show no leniency towards elements involved in profiteering and hoarding.
The Prime Minister said that hoarding of fertilizer can adversely affect the crop production for the Rabi season, therefore, the supply of fertilizer must be ensured for the farmers.
The Prime Minister said that the PTI government had introduced farmer-friendly policies for the first time in the history of the country, as they are the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. He directed the relevant authorities to launch an effective public awareness campaign to dispel the rumors about urea shortage.
The meeting was informed that an average fertilizer supply of 19,000 MT/day was ensured during last week, and an additional 1,000 MT/day has been added. It was informed that the cabinet had approved the import of 100,000 MT of urea from China on a Government-to-Government basis at almost half the price from the current international market rate.
Regarding anti-smuggling measures, it was informed that 92,845 bags of urea have been confiscated by the provincial governments of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, which were being smuggled. A dedicated monitoring cell in the Ministry of Industries is observing the fertilizer situation, and it has helped in urea tracing and price control.
Federal Ministers Shaukat Fayaz Tareen, Makhdoom Khusro Bahtiar, and Syed Fakhar Imam, Minister of State, Farrukh Habib, SAPM Dr. Shehbaz Gill, executives from fertilizer manufacturing companies, and senior officers attended the meeting. Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa joined via video link.
