STAFF REPORT IBD: Farmers fromPunjab have strongly criticised the governments lopsided policy about importing urea and claimed that the subsidy being given on it from the national exchequer is not going to the farmers but to the black marketers.

“The government is selling imported urea at the rate of Rs 1300 per bag, while the farmers are getting it at Rs 1750 per bag while the factory rate of domestic urea is around Rs 1600 per bag, which was also being sold to farmers at the same rate,” said Wheat Growers Association President Chaudhry Hamid Malhi, Livestock Farmers.

He said that there is no justification in selling the imported urea at Rs 1325 per bag by the government, which should be priced at par with the domestic factory rate.

This would not only curb black marketing but would also save around Rs 5 billion of wrongly placed subsidy, representatives of different farmers organisations suggested.

They demanded an independent inquiry against such beneficiaries who are getting this subsidy in the name of farmers.

This saving could reduce the burden on the exchequer and also cover the targeted amount of Gas Infrastructure Development Cess from the fertilizer sector.

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