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FAP warns of canola crisis

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Farmers Associates of Pakistan (FAP) has said that growers community, after bitterly suffering the cotton crisis, is now heading towards canola crisis due to irrational policies of the government.

A FAP spokesman in a statement said here on Friday that Pakistan Oilseed Development Board (PODB) has launched a campaign for the development of oilseeds and claimed of increasing cultivation area of canola to 347,000 acres in the current year. But who will buy from the local farmers when the government is allowing import of canola oilseed at zero duty with today's C and F price of the same at $ 240 pmt, he questioned.

The landed price of this imported oilseed comes to Rs. 500/- per maund, while the support price fixed by the government for the local crop is Rs. 600 per maund. When the imported oilseed is available at cheaper rate then no one would purchase from the local growers, he pleaded.

He called upon the government to revise its policy in this regard to avert a cotton-like crisis.