NA body expresses concern over low return to potato farmers

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s standing committee for National Food Security has expressed reservations over low return to the farmers gain from the potato crop, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The members of the committee in a meeting at the Parliament House here observed that the farmers not receiving an appropriate price of their crop.

The parliamentary body also called the government to intervene in the matter.

Federal Minister for National Food Security Sahabzada Mehboob Sultan informed the committee that he met the prime minister over lower price of potatoes crop and informed him that the export of the crop will not resolve the issue.

The minister also told the meeting that he will also raise the issue in the meeting of the federal cabinet.

Secretary National Food Security said the government has not imposed any ban on export of potatoes from the country.

He said Pakistan exports potatoes to Russia, Central Asian countries, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

The secretary further said that Afghanistan has refused to slash its heavy tax on export of potatoes to the country.

The NA committee called the government to provide facilitation for the potato exports like it has extended to the export of sugar.