Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the authorities to ensure timely provision of fertilizer to farmers at all costs and ordered continuous monitoring of fertilizer supplies to safeguard the country’s food security.
The prime minister chaired an important meeting on food security and fertilizer reserves here, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said.
The prime minister said meeting the agricultural sector’s requirements was the government’s top priority to ensure food security in the country.
He directed the relevant ministries and institutions to formulate plans for alternative fertilizer supplies from Central Asian states in view of possible disruptions in supply chains from Gulf countries.
The prime minister also instructed the authorities to ensure sufficient fertilizer stocks for both Kharif and Rabi crop seasons and emphasized accelerating work on projects aimed at increasing local fertilizer production through installation of new plants.
During the meeting, he directed to take strict action against artificial shortages and hoarding of fertilizer to protect farmers from exploitation and maintain stable supplies in the market.
The meeting was informed that uninterrupted supply of natural gas to fertilizer factories was continuing in line with national requirements to sustain local production. The participants were further briefed that adequate fertilizer stocks were available for Kharif crops.
Federal Ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Ahad Khan Cheema and Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, and senior government officials attended the meeting.
