Govt to announce support price for wheat: Prince Isa
By Asad Cheema

ISLAMABAD—The Government would announce wheat support price this week to facilitate and encourage farmers enhance crop production for the country’s benefit. “The provision of wheat support prices is under active consideration of the government and a meeting in this regard will be held in a couple of days to announce support price for the encouragement of the farming community”, Federal Minister for Food Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL), Prince Muhammad Isa Jan told in an exclusive interview here Monday.
The farmers, he said, are the backbone of national economy and the government wants to benefit them in the best national interests. “We want to send message through media that we are fully determined to protecting the rights of the farming community”, he added. The Minister said that whenever the government in the past has given support price and subsidy to the farming community it produced results and crop production was enhanced.
Citing example, he said in 1997-98 the farmers were given support prices for wheat which resulted in 12.25 percent increase in the yield. In 2004-05 and 2006-07, the government announced support prices for wheat, the production grew by 10.82 and 9.49 percents respectively, adding that in neighbouring India, the farmers are also given support prices and subsidies to enhance crop production.
The Minister said that profitability of wheat is less than sunflower, canola, seed cotton and sugarcane and farmers are preferring to grow other commodities to earn more profits. “If we do not provide them support price or subsidy they will be discouraged and grow other crops which would result in shortage of wheat production in the country”, he remarked. Replying to a question, he said there was no shortage of urea fertilizer and government would ensure availability of DAP to ensure timely and proper use of fertilizers. He said that in 2006-07 the wheat was sown in an area of 8.5 million hectares and production was achieved at 23.3 million tons against the target of 22.50 million tons.
The MINFAL minister said the government in 2006-07 procured total 4.4 million tons out of which PASSCO procured 1.27 million tons, Punjab 3.0 million tons , Sindh 0.7 million tons and Balochistan 0.02 million tons.