Growers demand own 'Chamber of Agriculture'

LAHORE - Agriculturalists and growers' bodies in the country have demanded the government to allow them to set up Chamber of Agriculture - a separate platform, which solely and fully represent the interests of growers- as existing chambers of commerce and industries are not the real representatives of the farmers.

Rao Yasir Iqbal, Managing Director of Mazharabad Farm in Depalpur (Okara), said that 'Pakistan Chamber of Agriculture' is the need of the hour and the government, which has already taken several steps in the interest of farmers, should help this large community in establishing a forum like that of manufacturers and industrialists 'chambers' and provide them land at a proper place for this purpose where farmers from all across the country could gather, sit, discuss their issues and raise their collective voice before the government through this platform.

He said that present chambers of commerce and industries are not true representatives of the growers and they have their own interests.

"All the existing chambers are dominated either by the traders class or the industrialists community and how they would work for the cause of cultivators. When the manufacturers or businessmen do not know the real issues of the agriculture community how they could solve them," Mr Yasir put the query.

Meanwhile, several farmers' bodies representatives have urged the government that all agriculture-related investment should be made through this proposed 'Pakistan Chamber of Agriculture' as agri chambers representative will guide the foreign investors properly and in a better way. Farmers can conduct the better feasibility for any project, scheme or plan, as they live in the agricultural environment and fully aware of the issues, they said.

They proposed that people who are related to agri-based trading like that of pesticides, urea, DAP and agri instruments should sit in Chamber of Agriculture together with the farmers and discuss the problems facing the farmers community. Growers are of the view that Chamber of Agriculture would represent the 70 per cent of the population. They alleged that urea and DAP traders are sitting in present chambers of commerce and they constantly hoard the DAP Fertilizer in their own interest and sell it to the farmers on higher prices at a suitable time. They pointed out that pesticides companies and businessmen who are also the members of the present chambers of commerce, always thing bout as to how the rates of pesticides could be further raised they never consider the cultivators that how they would bear the ever-increasing costs of inputs.

Another representative of farmers who live in South Punjab said that at this moment farmers' real problem is irrigation due to scarcity of water.

He maintained that their lands are fast turning into barrens due to non-availability of water. Canals have dried up and just 25 per cent of their total cultivable land could be irrigated with this scanty water and after the setting up of Pakistan Chamber of Agriculture there would be a proper platform and relevant representatives to voice this matter before the government.

Farmers said that few bodies working currently are not doing their job as these association are in control of very few peoples.