Pakistan’s agri capacity to increase exports, Fakhar tells Argentinean envoy
Mohammad Arshad Islamabad
Federal Minister for National Food and Security Syed Fakhar Imam has said that the government of Pakistan has approved cotton intervention price.
He said, “If prices fall below Rs. 5000/40kg of seed cotton then the intervention policy will be acti-vated.” Federal Minister said that the procurement will be set as 90% of the import parity price (IPP).
While addressing a press conference here he said that ministry would constitute a ‘Cotton Price Re-view Committee’ which will monitor cotton price in the country.
This committee will direct the TCP to start procurement if prices fall. He continues that TCP will initially procure 200,000 bales of cotton.
He said that it will ensure that farmers get directly benefited from its procurement. Minister hoped that it would stabilize cotton prices in the country.
Fakhar said that the government is working on a cotton revival program which will be introduced soon.
He said primary aim of this program is to provide quality input for cotton especially cotton seed and pesticides in addition with modernization of ginning technology.
In a separate meeting with Ambassador of Argen-tina Leopold Francisco Sahores here he said that Pakistan had immense agricultural capacity which could allow Pakistan to increase its exports.
He hoped that Argentinean private companies would invest in Pakistan and bring value added technolo-gies to the agriculture of Pakistan.
They discussed agricultural trade between both the two countries and minister said that we will initially set up a trial of low-cost grain storage technology from Argentina and eventually its outreach will be multiplied. He continued that the two countries should increase bilateral trade in agriculture.
Leopold Francisco Sahores Ambassador of Argen-tina in Pakistan said that the agricultural bilateral trade between the two countries has immense potential.
He said exchange of agricultural technologies can enhance the productivity of agriculture in Paki-stan and thus should be a primary area of focus.
