ISLAMABAD: The federal government is taking decisive steps to ensure an uninterrupted supply of fertilizers to farmers by importing 0.2 million metric tons of urea.
The decision of importing urea was made during a high-level meeting held on Thursday to review actions taken to stabilize the fertilizer supply chain and regulate prices in the country.
The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Industries and Production and National Food Security, Rana Tanveer Hussain. It was also attended by federal ministers Sardar Awais Leghari and Mussadaq Malik, as well as Members of the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah, Moeen Wattoo, Azhar Khan Leghari, Fatehullah Khan, and Nawabzada Mir Jamal Khan Raisani. Federal Secretary for Food Security Muhammad Fakhar-e-Alam and Federal Secretary for Industries Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry were also present.
Detailed discussions focused on measures regarding the fertilizer supply chain and pricing were held. Minister Rana Tanveer emphasized the importance of ensuring a stable supply of urea during the upcoming sowing season and informed the committee that 0.2 million metric tons of urea is being imported to meet the targets.
The minister underscored the government’s commitment to stopping fertilizer smuggling and ensuring equitable distribution of urea at affordable prices. He announced that stringent monitoring would be implemented for dealers and distributors to prevent black marketing.
Rana Tanveer Hussain stressed that protecting farmers’ interests is a top priority for the government. He stated that all fertilizer companies and dealers would be required to supply urea at uniform rates and that a comprehensive strategy has been developed to curb urea black marketing.
He urged provincial governments to actively participate in implementing the federal government’s actions and to monitor fertilizer distributors and dealers closely. Strict measures will be taken against those involved in black marketing to ensure transparency, he asserted.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to preventing the exploitation of farmers by the fertilizer mafia, Rana Tanveer pledged zero tolerance for any negligence in providing fertilizers to farmers. He mentioned that various agencies would be engaged to bring transparency and accountability to the system, ensuring that illegal practices are addressed.
“Farmers can rest assured that their interests will be protected and their needs for fertilizers will be met without any delay or compromise,” he concluded.
