Granting NDMA status to India will 'hurt Pakistani farmers'

The farmer community in Pakistan has asked its government about the challenges that the taxed agriculture sector of Pakistan will face competing with the subsidised Indian Agri economy.

The comments from the Pakistani farmers came amid Islamabad's possibility of granting Non Discriminatory market Access (NDMA) to India.

Doctor Tariq Bucha, Farmers Associates of Pakistan president, said that they were not against trade with India, but they have to make their sector first in order to compete with Indian agri market.

According to the Express Tribune, Bucha said India was providing subsidy to its farmers of around 100 billion dollars a year, and supported around 30 crops, whereas Pakistan government supported wheat and it was the only crop produced in the country.

On the contrary, Pakistan's total agricultural production is 50 billion dollars per year and the subsidies given by the government are less than 1 percent of GDP.

The Pakistani farmer has to give an input tax of up to 19 percent.

The Indian government gives subsidies on major inputs like electricity, diesel, urea, freight, whereas Pakistani farmers have to bear the brunt.

He added that lack of government support and lack of policy especially after the 18th Amendment, and very little research on enhancing crop productivity was faced by Pakistani farmers, the report added.