Punjab Minister for Agriculture Malik Ahmad Ali has said that federal government is bent upon destroying agriculture sector deliberately and, in order to help facilitate their friends, an artificial crisis of fertiliser was created and two lakh tons fertiliser was imported, over which Rs 600 commission on every bag, was gobbled up.
He expressed these views, while addressing a function regarding wheat seed distribution, among the flood-stricken farmers on behalf of Punjab government at wheat procurement centre Dera Ghazi Khan, says a hand out issued here on Wednesday.
The Minister said Punjab government is distributing 1,18,000 bags of quality seed, among 25,000 flood affected farmers at a cost of Rs 24 crore. He said a target of wheat sowing over 1,90,000 acres has been fixed in the province. He said that the water cess, land tax and agriculture tax has been postponed in villages declared calamity-stricken.
He said Punjab government always stands with the people in any hour of difficulty. He said a record production of 37 lakh tons rice has been achieved in the province. He said that Punjab government is taking effective steps to provide quality pesticides to ensure prosperity of farmers. He said that by eliminating spurious pesticides, worth Rs 40 crore, the government has saved farmers from financial crisis and damage of crops.
