KARACHI: The Sindh government has written a letter to the federal government seeking a ban on import of tomatoes and taking steps for the export of onion crop.
Sindh’s Agriculture Department has written a letter to Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam and Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood.
The letter said that Sindh produces most of the tomatoes and onion crops yield in Pakistan and the crops have ripe for harvest. “Sindh is expected to achieve a good yield of tomatoes and onion this year,” Sindh’s Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu said.
“The farmers could not receive an appropriate price of these crops due to the import of tomatoes and a ban on export of onions,” Rahu stated. “They have also protested in Sindh against import of tomatoes,” the minister said.
Sindh cultivated onion crop on 57,900 hectares in year 2019-20 and produced 782,140 metric tonnes of onions, while the crop has cultivated at 58,200 hectares this yea.
Meanhile, Sindh cultivated tomatoes on 22,542 hectares in year 2019-20 and produced 164,658 metric tonnes of the crop, while the crop has been cultivated at 30,000 hectares this year.
It said the farms in Sindh have suffered heavy financial losses due to the heavy monsoon rains last year. It said the farmers have kept their hopes high and are expecting a good return on short duration crops like onion and tomato.
It said the farmers are failing to get the production costs of crops due to inappropriate federal policies and not even harvest and transporting costs which has dimmed their hopes.
It urged federal authorities to take steps for a ban on import of tomatoes, while the ministries of commerce and the food security should grant permission for export of the excessive onion yield in the best interest of farming community.
It is to be mentioned here that the federal cabinet had banned export of onions last year after a decision of the Economic Coordination Committee.
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