Fertiliser stockpiles enough for Rabi season

ISLAMABAD: The Fertiliser Review Committee (FRC) assured farmers on Friday that Pakistan’s fertiliser reserves are sufficient to meet the demand for the upcoming Rabi season, with adequate supplies of both DAP and urea fertilisers.

The committee, chaired by Federal Minister for Industries, Production, and National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain, was convened to assess stock levels and ensure the availability of essential fertilizers for the 2024-25 Rabi season. The Rabi season, starts from October and ends in March, primarily produces wheat, barley, and pulses.

Minister Hussain highlighted a significant increase in the demand for DAP fertiliser, attributing a 44 per cent surge in offtake to the Punjab government’s Kisan Card initiative. The October 2024 estimate for DAP offtake stood at 309,000 tonnes, up from 215,000 tonnes the previous month. This surge is driven by Rs 75 billion in interest-free loans disbursed to 500,000 farmers under the Punjab government’s Kisan Card program, which provides Rs30,000 per acre for seeds, phosphorus, and nitrogen.

“Farmers have already drawn Rs18 billion to procure fertiliser,” said Hussain, adding that the trend of increased DAP usage is expected to continue through November and December 2024. The initiative is intended to encourage the balanced application of fertilizers for higher crop yields.

The committee reaffirmed that additional fertilizer stocks are in place to meet the demand, ensuring no disruptions for farmers as they prepare for the Rabi season. Rana Tanveer emphasized the importance of farmers’ prosperity for the country’s economic growth and urged provincial authorities to take stringent measures against hoarding and price manipulation.

The meeting was attended by key officials, including Saif Anjum, Secretary of the Ministry of Industries, and Ali Tahir, Secretary of the Ministry of National Food Security, alongside representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Commerce, and provincial governments.