Tensions between Punjab and Balochistan surfaced on Wednesday after the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security was informed that the Punjab Seed Corporation had stopped supplying seeds to Balochistan amid a severe nationwide shortage.
According to media reports, during the meeting, Balochistan’s agriculture secretary raised the issue before the committee, while the Federal Seed Certification Department confirmed that only 4,000 tonnes of seed were available against a national requirement of 68,000 tonnes.
The committee directed the Ministry of National Food Security to convene a meeting with provincial secretaries from Punjab and Balochistan to resolve the issue.
The ministry informed the committee that all provinces had been instructed to enforce seed regulations through their agriculture extension departments to ensure the supply of quality seeds. However, only Punjab had implemented the directive. The committee ordered the ministry to send official letters to all provinces, requiring responses within 15 days.
The panel also expressed concern over rising fertiliser prices, particularly DAP and urea, which have increased from Rs12,000 to Rs15,000 per bag. It urged government intervention to prevent hoarding and market manipulation.
Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain said a meeting scheduled for Friday would review import data and align domestic prices with global trends.
To safeguard farmers’ incomes, the committee proposed introducing minimum support prices for sugarcane and other key crops. It criticised delayed sugar mill procurement, which has discouraged crop rotation and driven down prices.
The minister said an agreement with sugar millers had been reached to ensure timely and fair payments and noted that storage facilities would be made accessible through government-backed bank financing.
On wheat, the ministry confirmed sufficient buffer stocks for procurement, especially for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa via PASSCO, and stated that the minimum support price remains unchanged despite IMF reservations.
In a briefing on the olive sector, officials reported that Pakistan currently has seven million olive trees compared to 400 million in Spain, though Pakistan’s yield rate is 28 percent — significantly higher than the global average of 6–7 percent. The global olive market is valued at $15 billion, offering Pakistan potential to expand exports.
The Pak Olive project aims to meet domestic demand by 2030, with cultivation in 131 districts. Saplings are sold at subsidised prices of Rs200–300 through registered nurseries. Despite being drought-resistant, the sector faces water shortages and post-harvest challenges.
The committee recommended updating zoning clusters, promoting public-private partnerships, expanding farmer training, and developing national certification and branding systems to strengthen Pakistan’s olive sector.
It also reviewed a delayed plan for a joint research centre in Khairpur, a collaboration between PARC and Khairpur University. With no progress reported, a subcommittee led by Syed Javed Ali Shah was formed to oversee the matter.
On tobacco, the KP Agriculture Department informed the panel that companies were purchasing only premium-quality tobacco, citing weather and storage issues for rejecting lower-grade produce. The Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) was directed to coordinate with the KP government for a resolution and provide complete data on corporate social responsibility spending by all tobacco firms.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of National Food Security, FBR, PARC, NSDRA, olive and tobacco departments, and growers’ associations.
