ISLAMABAD, Feb 2 (APP):The Ministry of Industries and Production, through its mobile fertilizers sales points, has provided about 22,000 tons Urea on sustainable prices across the commodity-stressed areas to meet the requirements of farming community as well as create balance in demand and supply.
The mobile sales points were established on the direction of Prime Minister for ensuring availability of fertilizers on sustainable rates, besides discouraging artificial shortage of the commodity and curbing the smuggling and hoarding in open markets across the country, said an senior official in the Ministry of Industries and Production.
Talking to APP here on Wednesday, he said that the provincial governments in collaboration with the law enforcement agencies have also carried out anti-smuggling drive and seized over 90,146 bags of fertilizers, which would also help to curb market malpractices.
The action was taken to ensure smooth supply of fertilizers for farming community on sustainable prices during current season across the country as well as curbing artificial shortage and hoarding by discouraging the malpractices, he added.
He said, the provincial governments were been asked to enhance their vigilance to ensure availability of fertilizers to growers at sustainable rates during the season and ensure availability of required quantum for next season, adding they were also asked to take stern action against all those involved hoarding and wrongdoings.
The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa initiated anti-smuggling drive and during last month it had seized about 39,000 bags, he said adding that custom department of KP also recovered 1,447 bags from different markets, which would help in further smoothing the demand and supply position.
Meanwhile, Custom Department Quetta had seized 7,059 bags of fertilizers and Government of Balochistan 21,516 bags, he said adding that 20,400 bags were also recovered in Punjab under anti-smuggling drive.
The official further informed that so far the fertilizers demand for wheat crop has been met, whereas efforts for meeting demand for other Rabi crops were being made by convening daily meetings with provinces, dealers and farmers’ representatives.
It is expected that at the end of February 2022, stocks for Nitrogenous fertilizers would be around 200,000 metric tons (buffer stock), adding that with the efforts put in place, it is expected that production of nitrogenous fertilizer would exceed previous demand of the commodity.
Meanwhile, he said that from November 15, 2021, a web portal for monitoring of Urea was launched and all factory dispatches with dealer name, location and truck numbers were entered by manufacturers in real-time, adding that all deputy commissioners have provided access to data of their districts.
The efforts for importing Urea were also made in September and Trading Corporation of Pakistan had published the tender on October 22 to which no bids were received, he said adding that Ministry of Industries and Production took approval from the Cabinet for import of 100,000 metric tons of Urea from China on Government to Government basis.
The first ship of 50,000 metric tons was expected to arrive during this month, he said adding that by the end of January 2022, approximately 570,000 MT production for Urea fertilizer has been achieved.
