Minister for Industries, Production, and National Food Security, Rana Tanveer Hussain, on Saturday directed the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority to rigorously check value-added urea products of fertiliser companies to ensure the quality of the commodity across the country. According to a press statement, the minister chaired a review meeting that discussed issues related to the availability and pricing of urea fertiliser in the country.
Hussain also directed the introduction of toll-free numbers to receive complaints against price increases and overcharging by dealers, aiming to facilitate growers across the country by providing them with all agricultural inputs at sustainable rates. The minister further stated that the estimated availability of urea during the Kharif season 2024 was recorded at 3,394 thousand tonnes, while the total consumption of urea during the Kharif season is expected to be around 3,156 thousand tonnes.
He noted that there was a sufficient stock of urea fertiliser available in the country for the Kharif season and stressed the need to ensure an uninterrupted supply of the commodity at affordable prices during the season. The CEOs of the fertiliser companies ensured that all manufacturing units will operate at full capacity to meet local demand, provided that an uninterrupted gas supply is ensured by the government.
The minister warned that dealers who charge higher prices than the retail price will be blacklisted.
