08/11/05 ISLAMABAD (Daily Times): The Pakistan Oilseed Development Board (PODB) has urged the government to introduce a long-term policy framework for development of the oilseed sector, which should remain unchanged for at least five years, a senior government official told the Daily Times on Monday.

The board was also pushing hard for placing duty structure on the import of oils and oilseed in accordance with the fluctuation in their prices in the international market, the official added. The duty structure should be placed in such a way that local growers could get a minimum Rs 750-Rs 800 per 40kg for sunflower and canola produce. According to the official, the domestic requirement of canola and palm oil is more than 1.8 million tons. About 600,000 tons are produced locally and the rest 1.2 million tons are imported to bridge the gap between production and consumption.

At a recent presentation to the Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikander Hayat Khan Bosan, the PODB termed the non-availability of credit to oilseed growers as the "biggest challenge" to properly develop the oilseed sector in the country.

According to the official, the PODB is also of the view that non-availability of quality seed at economical prices is also a big problem in the way of improving the cultivation and production of canola and sunflower crops. The official said the low yield per hectare also was a stumbling block in putting the sector in the right direction. The board had informed the high-ups of the ministry of food, agriculture and livestock (MINFAL) about the shortage of manpower in the PODB and there was unanimity of view that the board must be strengthened by providing the required manpower and finance to deal with its mandate and objectives.

The official said the meeting was informed that the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority had not enforced the decision of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet regarding ghee production. The ECC had decided that 65:35 ratio of hard and soft oil could be enforced in producing ghee by local manufacturers. MINFAL had urged the government to allow only those companies to import palm oil, which undertook the blending ratio of 65:35 in ghee manufacturing, the official added.