March 2020 | Roots for Equity

CORPORATE

NEWS COVERAGE PERIOD FROM MARCH 09 TO MARCH 15, 2020

SUGAR MILLS AGREE TO GET THEIR WAREHOUSES REGISTERED

Correspondent 3/11/2020 12:00:00 AM

MIRPURKHAS: Mirpurkhas, Digri, Al Abbas and Tharparkar sugar mills have agreed to get the warehouses situated on the premises of their mills registered.

This was stated by Mirpurkhas Bureau of Supply and Price Control assistant director Naved Ahmed Shaikh. He told this correspondent here on Tuesday that for this purpose, the bureau had approached the law department for advice according to the law.

He said his department was established in 2008, but no legal power of magistrates was given to them as result they could not work properly to check the price hike in general commodities and hoarding to impose fine etc.

It may be recalled that the sugarmills of the district had imposed an alleged ban on the sale of their sugar in the local market, holding back their stock of sugar in their warehouses.

This situation,accordingtolocal traders, created an artificial shortage of sugar, which forced them to purchase sugar bags from far-off areas spending more money on transportation and selling the commodity on higher rates.

When contacted, Ghulam Mohammad Soomro, general manager of Al Abbas sugar mills, said that their warehouses were situated on the premises of their mills and they were not registered in the past. His mills had started to supply sugar in the local markets, he added

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ATLAS FOOD SIGNS MOU WITH SYNGENTA PAKISTAN

By ZAHID BAIG on March 15, 2020

The Punjab government will soon launch an ambitious Rs 6 billion plus project to promote mechanization, usage of certified seed and responsible application of pesticides in line with international standards.

Under this project, farmers will be given 50 percent subsidy on purchase of certified rice seed, educated on responsible and controlled use of pesticides etc. Right now the department is in the phase of pre-qualifying seed companies in this regard. It is a complete package being given by the government to enhance the productivity of the rice sector.

The project is also aimed at promoting mechanization through subsidizing use of different machines such as transplanters for increasing plant population and other agricultural implements, said Director Agriculture (Extension) Gujranwala Javed Iqbal while speaking at a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony.

Syngenta Pakistan and Atlas Foods (Pvt) Limited signed the (MoU) to impart training to rice growers regarding the need-based application of pesticides. The training will create awareness among the farmers to avoid excessive usage of pesticide.

Managing Director & CU Head Syngenta Pakistan Kazim Hasnain and CEO Atlas Foods Sami Ullah Naeem inked the document on behalf of their respective organizations.

Dr Javed Iqbal said that the government would bear 50 per cent of the cost on the usage of different types of machinery such as transplanters, nursery raising machines, DSR-drill, rice straw choppers, rotavators and power sprayers. “It is aimed at converting this sector from the present status of tractorization into real mechanization,” he added.

Atlas Foods (Pvt) Limited CEO Sami Ullah Naeem said that 55 percent of Pakistan economy relies on agriculture and rice crop is one of the most important crops, which is earning precious foreign exchange for the country. He said monitoring of pesticides residue in rice crop had increased by the European Union (EU), USA and Saudi Arabia for the last three to four years. He said that our products are going to the high-end market and we have to keep the pesticide residue at the required level.

https://www.brecorder.com/2020/03/15/580144/atlas-food-signs-mou-with-syngenta-pakistan/