Minister for Industries and Production Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar on Monday asked the Sindh government to take measures against fetilizer hoarders in the province.

In a statement, the minister said that Sindh-based fertilizer dealers had purchased an extra 1,25,000 tons of urea as compared to last year. Similarly, dealers from peripheral areas of Punjab (adjacent to Sindh) bought 50,000 tons more urea as compared to last year for hoarding.

The minister lamented that due to the negligence of the Sindh government, these stocks couldn’t be moved to food-bowl areas of Punjab threatening the Rabi farming.

Calling it a matter of national food security he asked Sindh to take measures on basis of data of suspected hoarders in Sindh shared by the federal government.

The minister also announced that a new enactment to reward whistle-blowers was being promulgated to check hoarding and profiteering, by which, a maximum of Rs. 5 million will be awarded to those who will provide credible and actionable information about the hoarding of fertilizers to the government.

Moreover, the Minister said that there is an ample amount of urea is available for Rabi season as the government has arranged additional production of 2,25,000 tons compared to last year by extending the operations of northern plants and Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim Limited (FFBL) till February. In addition to these measures, the government is finalizing the import of urea which will reach Karachi by mid-December for maintaining buffer stocks of urea.

Earlier, while chairing a meeting on fertilizer supply position, Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Industries and Production, Punjab government and cooperation from fertilizer companies for making collective efforts to reduce prices of urea by Rs. 400 in one week.

Source: Pro Pakistani