Growers want cane price fixed at Rs235 per maund

Post Source: Dawn Bureau Report

 
HYDERABAD: A general body meeting of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture held here on Sunday urged the government to fix the minimum price of sugarcane at Rs235 per maund. The meeting presided over by Dr Syed Nadeem Qamar drew government’s attention to acute shortage of water which was rendering barren thousands of acres of rich and fertile land.

The meeting called for implementing the 1991 water accord in letter and spirit and said Sindh should be given its share of water in accordance with the accord.

The meeting proposed formation of an experts’ committee to formulate suggestions on issues relating to seed, pesticide, fertiliser and soil fertility.

The growers who had come from across the province to attend the general body meeting expressed serious concern over decrease in the price of sugarcane and demanded that the minimum price should be Rs235 per 40 kg.

They said that the farming community was facing difficulty in exporting guava and urged the government to remove bottlenecks hampering the export.

Later, the meeting elected Dr Syed Nadeem Qamar as president of the chamber for three years and Mir Murad Ali Khan Talpur and Akhund Ghulam Mohammad Siddiqui the first and second senior vice-presidents.

Mohammad Anwar Bachani and Nabi Bux Sathio were elected general secretary and additional general secretary.

SEMINAR: The Institute of Women Development Studies of the University of Sindh organised a seminar on breast cancer here on Saturday to create awareness among women, especially those living in rural areas, about the disease.

Specialists from the Nuclear Institute of Medical Radiotherapy (NIMRA) Dr. Aisha Siddiqui, Dr. Anwar Baloch and Dr. Roshan Ara Kazi highlighted causes that lead to breast cancer and underlined the importance of preventive measures.

They praised the government and social welfare organisations for holding seminars on the disease.

Phutti arrivals jump by 44.3pc in Sindh

Post Source Dawn – Friday, 05 Feb, 2010

By Parvaiz Ishfaq Rana 

 

KARACHI: Sustained flow of phutti from Sindh fields has helped cotton production to cross 12.513 million bales brightening the prospects of exceeding last year production of 12.5 million bales. The arrival figures of phutti showed that overall production stood higher by 15.65 per cent or 1.287 million bales over last year’s corresponding period when production stood at 10.819 million bales.

The arrival figures jointly compiled by PCGA, Aptma and KCA disclosed that slower arrival of phutti from Punjab cotton fields had an adverse impact on overall production.

During the out-going fortnight (Jan 15 to 31) there was a sudden fall in phutti arrival to 273,271 bales from 497,568 bales recorded in the same period last year. This steep decline was mainly because of fall in phutti arrivals in the Punjab.

According to official figures arrival of phutti in Sindh remained higher by 44.34 per cent over the previous year’s corresponding period. During the period under review Sindh produced 4.189 million bales as against 2.902 million in the corresponding period last year.

This means that Sindh has produced around 1.287 million more bales this season. Against this, phutti arrival in the Punjab was only higher by 5.13 per cent at 8.324 million bales compared to 2.917 million bales recorded in the same period last year.

As a result of this cotton production in the Punjab stood 406,498 bales higher over the last year. However, overall production during out-going fortnight stood lesser by 224,297 bales compared to same period last year.

It is quite interesting to note that spinners this season have so far purchased larger quantities of cotton. In all 10.907 million bales have been lifted by spinners during the current season compared to 8.837 million bales purchased by them in the same period last year.

Similarly, due to higher off-take by spinners the unsold stocks of cotton lying with ginners is lesser at 810,900 bales compared 1.542 million bales stood in the same period last year.

However, a fairly larger quantity had been lifted by exporters at 794,348 bales as against 290,865 bales they exported in the corresponding period last year.

Cotton analysts said if the country manages to achieve 13 million bales production this season it will help reduce import bill for raw cotton.

Govt revises wheat production target to 22.3mt from 25mt

Post Source: DailyTimes – By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: After droughty situation, the government has revised major crops estimates and the reset target for wheat is now 22.3 million tonnes instead of 25 million tonnes. Officials in the Ministry for Finance told Daily Times on Monday that the latest crops estimates includes cotton (12.7 million bales against the initial target of 12.10 million bales), rice (6.7 million tonnes against the initial target of 6.37 million tonnes), sugarcane (47 million tonnes against 56 million tonnes), and maize (3.2 million tonnes against 3.4 million tonnes).

The targets for Rabbi Season 2009-10 were set during the 91st meeting of the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA), held on October 12, 2009. The six major crops for which targets have been reset have considerable contribution 7.10 percent in determining the size of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Ministry for Finance figures.

Sources in the Ministry for Food and Agriculture said the droughty situation would result about 2 million tonnes wheat production shortfall for the current season but it would have been worse than it had the government not taken necessary steps to counter it.

There was no rain across the country in November and December 2009, which resulted into lover production of wheat in the current season. Achieving the national wheat target mainly depends upon the crops produced from rain-fed areas areas.

Agriculture Development Commissioner Qadir Bux Baloch claimed that the government would be able to achieve wheat production as required by the country. He also claimed that wheat was lying in surpluses quantity in previous years so there would be no shortfall in the country. The government, he said, had arranged provision of all-important inputs including availability of urea fertilizer, certified seeds, land leveling, provision of subsidy on Potash, and many others.

He claimed that only 10 percent wheat sowing fields were in barani areas, which gave 2 million tonnes wheat production and that here was a need for rain after November 15 till December 2009 but it did not happen, because of which wheat could not have been sown.

Last year, the government campaign for increasing wheat production from 24 mund to 27 mund per acre remained successful, he said. The government had moved to increase wheat production from last year’s 27 mund to 30 mund per acre in the current season.

He said, “The government would cover deficiency of 2 million tonnes wheat production in barani areas through increase in per acre production. The attractive support price of Rs 950 per 40 kg wheat would encourage the farmers to produce more. According to breakdown, of 25 million tonnes, 19.205 million tonnes wheat would be gain from Punjab, 3.682 million tonnes from Sindh, 1.210 million tonnes from NWFP and 0.903 million tonnes from Balochistan, he said.

Ministry for Food and Agriculture officials claimed that provinces had informed the ministry that they had achieved wheat-sowing targets for fiscal year 2009-10. The wheat sowing data revealed that the government had achieved the first requirement – wheat sowing target – and time would decide the accomplishment of achieving production target.

The officials claimed that the government had a surplus of about 2.5 million tones wheat. Conservative estimates suggest that the federal government has at least 1.5 million tones strategic reserves with liberal releases to the millers.

The wheat sowing data revealed that Punjab had sown wheat over 6.841 million hectare achieving 100 per cent target, Sindh over 1 million hectare against the target of 1.031 million hectare, NWFP over 0.665 million hectare and Balochistan over 0.290 million hectare.

Keeping in view the track record of the wheat production in the country, it suggests that the country achieved a record production when the drought-like situations was being feared.

Acute water shortage jeopardising agri sector

Post Source: The Nation – By Khalid Malik

LAHORE – The agriculture sector is going to bear a huge loss of about Rs100 billion in the production of Rabi crops of wheat and gram due to acute water shortage in the country, a survey conducted by the Punjab Agriculture Department revealed on Friday. Sources in the department said the department conducted this survey in December 2009 through the district presidents of the department, which said that due to water shortage in the reservoirs the sowing schedule of the growers was disturbed as farmers even could not get first irrigation water for their crops.
“About 50 per cent of crops on more than 2.3 million acres of land in arid areas could not be sowed this year due to insufficient water in the River Chenab after construction of Baglihar Dam by India. The sources said that more than seven million acre feet of water of run of river and reservoirs of the country being wasted due to lack of planning and insufficient water reservoirs in the country. Major crop of the rabi is wheat which is sowed on about 20 million acres of land in the province only while gram is sowed on about three million acres of land, sunflower on about 1.5 million acres and canola is being sowed about one million acres of land.
They said insufficient irrigation is harming such crops and resultantly the target set by the government regarding the production of such crops particularly the target set for the wheat crop of about 19 million tons could not be achieved.

They said requirement of the water for the irrigation of the crops is about 100 million acres of feet for the rabi crops while the available quantity of water for this purpose is about 65 to 75 million acre feet water and out of which 35 million acre feet water could not be availed by agriculture sector due to shortage of water. In case of shortage of water in dams and run of river, tubewells were being used as substitute source of water for irrigation purposes, said sources, adding that the farmers have installed more than 1 million tubewells in the province for irrigating their crops, out of which about 0.8 million tubewells are diesel operative whereas the remaining 0.2 million tubewells are electricity operative. “The growers could not get required quantity of water for irrigation of their crops from such tubewells due to the raise in electricity and diesel tariffs which is also hitting the crops production,” sources added.

In this regard, the agriculture experts have stressed the government to construct maximum reservoirs of water in the country including the construction of Kalabagh Dam in order to meet the need of water in the country and for the sake of saving the water of run of river which is need of the hour.

Drought threatens crops

Post Source: Dawn Economic and Business and Economic Review

By Ahmad Fraz Khan – Monday, 01 Feb, 2010

AFTER suffering from four months of progressive meteorological and hydrological drought, the country has entered the final stage of “agriculture drought.” It threatens crop failure, livestock losses and a human disaster for those who depend on canal and rain water for drinking and household use.
Agriculture drought occurs when low rainfall, soil water reserves and evaporation losses combine to hurt crops’ growth process.

According to the meteorological department, two preceding droughts (meteorological and hydrological) occur when rainfall is 40 per cent below the expected rainfall in any area for an extended period and a sustained deficit in surface runoff below normal conditions respectively. Most parts of the country are under severe meteorological drought conditions because no appreciable rainfall has occurred over the last four months.

The country has been experiencing hydrological drought because the availability of surface water in major reservoirs has aggravated due to 30 per cent below normal rain during the monsoon and persistent long dry spell afterwards.

Given these worsening conditions, the agriculture planners, who hitherto had not lost hopes, now fear serious failure of lintel, peanuts, gram and wheat crops in barani (rain-fed) areas, and worry about irrigated areas. Though they are reluctant to estimate final losses in all the three areas, they do confess that it is a “threatening scenario and appears to be beyond redemption.”

There is no available remedy for the situation, except for praying for celestial intervention for rains. The planners confess they can “recommend only cosmetic measures, which, they say, would not have any impact on crops.”

Of all the crops, major sufferer will be wheat. Punjab is already reducing its estimates from 19 million tons to around 17 million tons, and fears further revision. Its worry is that the crop of more than 60 days would hit the booting – make or break – stage by mid-February. If the current conditions continue, the crop would be further endangered.

The official advisory of applying two per cent urea and potassium chloride (KCL) solution, spray of anti-transpirant at vegetative stage – a costly proposition though – sprinkling, mulching or hoeing are beneficial but in no way insurance against drought damages.

In barani areas, wheat acreage was already down by 19 per cent (or 500,000 acres) this season. Out of the sown 1.3 million acres, around 400,000 acres already stand severely damaged. The rest still have some hope, though fading by the day. How they withstand termite attack, a normal condition in drought, would determine final yield from the area.

Gram, the fourth largest crop that covers around three million barani acres, is going to be another causality. Punjab hoped to cross its target of 553,000 tons, with average per acre yield of 6.7 to 6.8 maunds per acre. But for the crop would be in flowering stage in another week’s time, and without water.

The country may end up importing even lintels and pulses next year, further swelling its Rs300 billion import bill of items that fall under “food group.”

Sugarcane crop, which would be sown next month, might be the third causality. A combination of factors – severe water stress and lack of quality seed – may create a big hole in cane production next year. The crop has tumbled over the last two years with a drop of 30 per cent in 2007-08. Another six per cent is gone this year. The cane prices are up by 100 to 150 per cent this year. If water stress persists, it would keep the sugar market even more unstable next year.

With El-Nino effects now considered as a part of life throughout the world, in countries like Pakistan agriculture needs to be at the centre of development strategy.

Along with building new water resources, which should be the most essential part of the new agriculture strategy, the country must develop a total new range of seeds for almost every crop. These seeds have to be resistant to three stresses – water shortage, temperature and salts.

Once these seeds are developed, their production protocols would have to be taken to farmers and the Extension Wings trained accordingly. The current drought must provide basis for that crucial first step, because Pakistan cannot afford failure on this front. It is time for piecing together what is required for a new kind of agriculture.

Farmers fear 50pc fall in wheat production

Post Source: Dawn – By M.B. Kalhoro – 01 Feb, 2010

LARKANA: Farmers’ leaders have expressed the fear that acute shortage of water in canals and prolonged power outages would seriously affect wheat production in Sindh. According to them, wheat output will decline by 50 per cent if adequate water is not released and power situation does not improve in 15 days.

Talking to this correspondent, Gada Hussain Mahesar, vice-president of Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB), said that wheat was usually sown on 2.4 million acres in the province and the crop needed to be watered four to six times from sowing to harvesting. He said that growers with land in the command areas of non-perennial canals and who relied on tubewells to irrigate land could not afford to buy diesel at high prices.

Their crop was in bad shape and farmers who relied on perennial canals might suffer losses if water situation did improve soon, Mr Mahesar said.

Punjab and Balochistan were getting adequate water and only Sindh was facing the crisis.

He said that Sindh’s secretary of irrigation had ignored growers concerns.

He said that the shortage of water would also affect oilseeds and sunflower crops.

If the situation did not improve, the government would have to import wheat for domestic needs, he said.

Siraj Rashdi, president of the Larkana chapter of Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, also said the situation was alarming for crops.

He said that water flowing at a low level in the perennial canals would not reach the mouth of the watercourses to be used for irrigation.

Releasing a little water in canals was a ruse to deceive farmers, Mr Rashdi said.

He said that power outages, non-functioning of many SCARP tubewells and increase in prices of diesel had caused irreparable damage to the standing wheat crop.

He also said that non-availability of potash fertiliser which makes wheat stem strong was another problem.

“We do not have enough stocks of certified wheat seed and growers had to use low quality seed which added to the problem because of lack of adequate water,” he said.

Due to government’s policy of enhancing the procurement rate of wheat to Rs950 per 40kg, a large number of growers cultivated wheat but now they felt that they had been cheated, he said.

April, the month of harvest, was drawing near but water release was not in sight, Mr Rashdi said.

He said the shortage would also adversely affect sugarcane cultivation.

Mr Mahisar and Mr Rashdi said that lack of rain in Sindh this season would also affect the wheat crop.

They requested the government to arrange early release of water in perennial canals, uninterrupted power supply for tubewells and repair of SCARP tubewells to save growers from further losses.

MPAs demand comprehensive agriculture policy

Post Source: Staff Reporter – DailyTimes 

* PA members criticise role of marketing committees’ chairmen
* MPA asks for replacement of current agriculture marketing system

Staff Report

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly members criticised the province’s agriculture marketing system during Tuesday’s proceedings and demanded the formulation of comprehensive agricultural policies and an end to the current system.

The members asked if new chairmen of marketing committees had been appointed and what were their roles. MPA Syed Hasan Murtaza said the previously-appointed chairmen did not perform any duties and were the most lethargic people around, yet they enjoyed the facilities of an office, official vehicles and staff. He said their secretaries were the ones actually enjoying the authority, as they had to be contacted for any official work instead of the chairmen. The members also asked about the government’s steps regarding improvement of the agriculture marketing system and new agricultural policies.

Replacement: Regarding the existing marketing system and the government’s agricultural policy, MPA Chaudhry Javed Ahmed said the system was outdated and should be replaced as soon as possible to facilitate the masses and farmers. He said the Punjab government should devise a comprehensive agricultural policy if it has not done so already.

Defending the allegations levelled against marketing committee’s chairmen, Punjab Agriculture Minister Ahmed Ali Aulakh said a chairman is authorised to perform certain duties under the rules and regulations, however, the chairmen’s posts of all the committees were currently vacant. He said the chairmen would be elected after the local bodies elections.

Benefits: Aulakh said as far as the government’s agricultural policy is concerned, they are taking positive steps to improve the sector. He said establishment of cold storages, export of fruits and provision of environment-friendly tractors were a result of the government’s policies. He said the government was also taking steps to provide maximum benefit to farmers by reducing the role of the middleman and procuring crops directly from the farmers. He added that legislation was also being made in this regard.

The House also unanimously passed resolutions tabled by the opposition for benefiting the public. The resolutions included free allotment of three- and five-marla residential plots to the needy besides providing them loans on easy terms so they can build their houses on these plots. Deputy opposition leader Muhammad Yar Hiraj presented the resolutions. MPA Naseem Lodhi also presented a resolution regarding immediate steps for the provision of National Cadet Corps training at government schools. The House passed both the resolutions unanimously.

The opposition also suggested amendments to the Punjab Public Service Commission and Punjab Office of the Ombudsman bills, seeking that the offices be bound to send their annual reports to the House within a specific period of time instead of the current suggestion of submissions “as early as possible”.

Water shortage to cause 40pc decline in wheat output

Post Source: The Nation – By Ashraf Javed

LAHORE – Agriculturists, water experts and growers have predicted that country could experience 30 to 40 per cent decline in wheat production this year as the farmers are facing worst water shortage after India cut down up to 50 per cent of water flow at Chenab River, putting the wheat crops in Punjab at stake.

On the other hand, weather pundits have also forecast scarcity of rains for this year.

President Pakistan Muttahida Kisan Mahaz (PMKM) Ayub Khan Mayo who recently visited Head-Marala to review water situation said that the wheat crops in Sindh and Punjab are in danger as the growers community is facing worst water shortage.

He also criticised the government’s silence over Chenab River water steal by India. “Under the Indus Water Basin Treaty, India is required to release 16,000 cusec Chenab water to Pakistan whereas water flow at Head Marala has been reduced to only 5000-Cusec as a result of construction of Baglihar Dam in Occupied Kashmir. Drastic fall in Chenab water flow had resulted in closure of Marala Ravi Link, Upper Chenab and BRB canals which met 75 percent canal water requirement of Punjab,” he maintained.

The closure of three canals has created an acute shortage of water for Rabi crop, and wheat production is likely to fall drastically in Punjab, Mayo added.

According to the Indus Water Treaty, India could not use Chenab water, as it could affect the quantity or flow of river. It goes without saying that by making the reservoir, the flow of water will definitely be affected.
“Pakistan is facing acute shortage of water due to India’s river water diversion plan, which has adversely impacted the farmers and made it difficult for them to keep their body and soul together,” Chairman Agri-Forum Pakistan Ibrahim Mughal said on Monday. He said that the wheat production could be less than the set target of 25 millions tons this year as the Indian water aggression is continued unabated.

He also said that the worst water scarcity would badly damage the wheat crops standing at no less than 2.5 million acre in the central Punjab. “This all is happening due to the construction of controversial Baglihar Dam and closure of Pakistan’s water by India,” Ibrahim Mughal said.

He further said that the water aggression would also damage grain crops in the Punjab province besides badly affecting the sowing of sugarcane crop.
Mughal also said that the government functionaries and advisors have the habit of issuing warnings that they would take up the matter with the World Bank or ICJ.

He also blamed the previous government for procrastination, the present ruling and opposition parties are involved in internecine conflict and India, meanwhile, may complete Kishanganga project.

In 2008, Pakistan suffered a loss exceeding Rs5 billion in paddy crop production only in the wake of water shortage after India stopped Chenab water to fill the Baglihar Dam in September.

Zadar Iqbal, a progressive farmer from Mailsi, said that in the past, there had been wars between the countries over religions, usurpation of territories and control of resources including oil, but in view of acute shortages of water in Africa, Middle East, Asia and many other places, the future wars would now be fought over water.

In addition to Kashmir dispute, the Indus River Basin has been an area of conflict between India and Pakistan for about four decades. Spanning 1,800 miles, the river and its tributaries together make up one of the largest irrigation canals in the world.

Dams and canals built in order to provide hydropower and irrigation have dried up stretches of the Indus River. The division of the river basin water has created friction among the countries of South Asia, and among their states and provinces.

Muhammad Ramzan Rafique, an agriculturist from Faisalabad University says, “Pakistan, indeed, needs large reservoirs to meet the growing food requirements of ever-increasing population, whereas for the last three decades none of the government has been able to evolve a national consensus on construction of Kalabagh Dam.”

Today, he said, agricultural sector contributes 24 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); two-third of population living in rural areas depends on it; absorbs more than 50 per cent of the labour force and provides the base for 75 per cent of exports in the form of raw materials and value-added products.

There is realisation in all the provinces that water shortages can lead to food shortages and also rifts between the provinces.
But the issue had been politicised for the last 30 years and genuine efforts were not made by the governments and leaders to resolve the contradictions by showing sense of accommodation and understanding of one another’s problems, he added.

Water shortage to cause 40pc decline in wheat output

Post Source: The Nation

LAHORE – Agriculturists, water experts and growers have predicted that country could experience 30 to 40 per cent decline in wheat production this year as the farmers are facing worst water shortage after India cut down up to 50 per cent of water flow at Chenab River, putting the wheat crops in Punjab at stake.

On the other hand, weather pundits have also forecast scarcity of rains for this year.

President Pakistan Muttahida Kisan Mahaz (PMKM) Ayub Khan Mayo who recently visited Head-Marala to review water situation said that the wheat crops in Sindh and Punjab are in danger as the growers community is facing worst water shortage.

He also criticised the government’s silence over Chenab River water steal by India. “Under the Indus Water Basin Treaty, India is required to release 16,000 cusec Chenab water to Pakistan whereas water flow at Head Marala has been reduced to only 5000-Cusec as a result of construction of Baglihar Dam in Occupied Kashmir. Drastic fall in Chenab water flow had resulted in closure of Marala Ravi Link, Upper Chenab and BRB canals which met 75 percent canal water requirement of Punjab,” he maintained.
The closure of three canals has created an acute shortage of water for Rabi crop, and wheat production is likely to fall drastically in Punjab, Mayo added.

According to the Indus Water Treaty, India could not use Chenab water, as it could affect the quantity or flow of river. It goes without saying that by making the reservoir, the flow of water will definitely be affected.
“Pakistan is facing acute shortage of water due to India’s river water diversion plan, which has adversely impacted the farmers and made it difficult for them to keep their body and soul together,” Chairman Agri-Forum Pakistan Ibrahim Mughal said on Monday. He said that the wheat production could be less than the set target of 25 millions tons this year as the Indian water aggression is continued unabated.

He also said that the worst water scarcity would badly damage the wheat crops standing at no less than 2.5 million acre in the central Punjab. “This all is happening due to the construction of controversial Baglihar Dam and closure of Pakistan’s water by India,” Ibrahim Mughal said.

He further said that the water aggression would also damage grain crops in the Punjab province besides badly affecting the sowing of sugarcane crop.
Mughal also said that the government functionaries and advisors have the habit of issuing warnings that they would take up the matter with the World Bank or ICJ.

He also blamed the previous government for procrastination, the present ruling and opposition parties are involved in internecine conflict and India, meanwhile, may complete Kishanganga project.

In 2008, Pakistan suffered a loss exceeding Rs5 billion in paddy crop production only in the wake of water shortage after India stopped Chenab water to fill the Baglihar Dam in September.

Zadar Iqbal, a progressive farmer from Mailsi, said that in the past, there had been wars between the countries over religions, usurpation of territories and control of resources including oil, but in view of acute shortages of water in Africa, Middle East, Asia and many other places, the future wars would now be fought over water.

In addition to Kashmir dispute, the Indus River Basin has been an area of conflict between India and Pakistan for about four decades. Spanning 1,800 miles, the river and its tributaries together make up one of the largest irrigation canals in the world.

Dams and canals built in order to provide hydropower and irrigation have dried up stretches of the Indus River. The division of the river basin water has created friction among the countries of South Asia, and among their states and provinces.

Muhammad Ramzan Rafique, an agriculturist from Faisalabad University says, “Pakistan, indeed, needs large reservoirs to meet the growing food requirements of ever-increasing population, whereas for the last three decades none of the government has been able to evolve a national consensus on construction of Kalabagh Dam.”

Today, he said, agricultural sector contributes 24 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); two-third of population living in rural areas depends on it; absorbs more than 50 per cent of the labour force and provides the base for 75 per cent of exports in the form of raw materials and value-added products.

There is realisation in all the provinces that water shortages can lead to food shortages and also rifts between the provinces.

But the issue had been politicised for the last 30 years and genuine efforts were not made by the governments and leaders to resolve the contradictions by showing sense of accommodation and understanding of one another’s problems, he added.

کسانوں اور زرعی مزدوروں کے حقوق کیلئے سیپ کی ملک گیر مہم شروع

لاہور (نیوز رپورٹر) چھٹی قومی زراعت شماری مےں کسانوں اورزرعی مزدوروں خصوصا عورتوںاو اقلےتوں کے مسائل اٹھانے کے لئے سیپ پاکستان نے ملک گیر مہم کا آغاز کر دیا ہے تاکہ سرکاری پالےسےوں منصوبو ں اور قانون سازی کے عمل مےں شمولےت سے ان محروم لوگوں کو روزگار کی فراہمی ،تحفظ خوراک،کے مواقع وپروگرام اور وسائل مہےا کئے جا سکےں ۔ساوتھ ایشیا پارٹنر شپ نے اس امر پر گہری تشوےش کا اظہارکیاہے کہ اس اہم ترےن کام مےںکسان و مزدور عورتوں کو مکمل طور پر نظر انداز کےا گےا ہے ،ان کے ابتر حالات کے بارے مےں ہماری رےاست کا روےہ ہر گز بھی مناسب نہےںاسی لئے زراعت شماری مےں ان کے مسائل و حالات کوشامل نہےں کےا جاتا اور نہ ہی وہ قومی منصوبہ سازی اور پالےسےوں کا حصہ بن سکتے ہےں۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ افراد شماری ہو ےا زراعت شماری ،ہماری ر ےا ست اسے بطو رہتھےار استعمال کرتی چلی آ رہی ہے اورنمونہ جاتی زراعت شماری کے ذرےعہ رےاست اپنے من پسند اعداد وشمار اور معلومات اکٹھی کر کے اپنے کام مےں لا تی ہے اورےہ خد شہ بھی ہے کہ کہےں اےسا تو نہےں کہ حکو مت زراعت شماری کے ذرےعے کارپورٹ فارمنگ کےلئے ز رعی زمےنوں کے کوائف ا کٹھے کرناچاہتی ہو تاکہ ےہ معلومات غےر ملکی کمپنےوں کو فراہم کی جا سکےں ۔سےپ پاکستان اور اس کے نےٹ ورک مےں شامل تنظےموں اور کسانوں و مزدوروں کے نمائےندے نے مطا لبہ کیا ہے کہ زراعت شماری نمونہ جاتی کے بجائے ملک گےر سطح ُپر کرائی جائے اورکسانوں ومزدوروں (عورتوں، مردوں اور اقلےتوں ) پر مشتمل کل آبادی مےں خوراک ،تعلےم ،صحت ،روز گار اور دےگر صورتحال کے بارے مےں اعداد و شمار اکٹھے کئے جائےں زرعی پےداواری عمل مےں عورتوں کے کام کی ہر نوعےت سامنے لائی جائے اور زرعی معشےےت مےں ان کے حصے کو بھی اجاگر کےا جائے ۔