50,000 Tonnes of DAP imported as fertilizer prices and farmer subsidies come under senate scrutiny

Confusion over poultry import duty rules and duplicate entries in a government notification have prompted a parliamentary committee to seek

Islamabad:  Confusion over poultry import duty rules and duplicate entries in a government notification have prompted a parliamentary committee to seek further action from the Finance Ministry and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), while questions over fertilizer taxes and unequal support for farmers have also come under review.

The Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research decided to invite the Finance Ministry and FBR to its next meeting to examine the exemption of regulatory duty on imported grandparent and parent stock of chicks. These are special breeding birds used to produce future generations of poultry.

The issue involves PCT codes 0105.1100 and 0105.9400, which specifically exclude these birds, and what the committee described as ambiguity caused by duplicate entries in S.R.O. 1064(I)/2026.

The committee was informed that the matter had already been placed before the Tariff Policy Board during its 15th meeting in October 2026 at the Ministry of Commerce. The board unanimously decided to send the issue to the Federal Cabinet for consideration and approval.

The committee will now seek further explanations from the Finance Ministry and FBR. The matter raises questions about how the import duty rules were written and applied, but the meeting record does not establish any corruption, illegal benefit or financial loss.

The committee, which met at the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Syed Hussain Tariq, also reviewed fertilizer supplies, farmer subsidies, wheat production and the proposed Seed (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

On fertilizer supplies, members appreciated the import of 50,000 tonnes of DAP fertilizer for the Rabi 2026 to 2027 season. They also praised the government’s handling of the DAP shortage through imports.

However, the committee recommended that the issue of regulatory duty and General Sales Tax on imported fertilizer be taken up with the concerned ministry. It said relief at the import stage could help keep fertilizer prices low for farmers.

The committee also expressed concern about the need to protect Pakistan’s agriculture sector from problems in international supply chains. The Ministry informed members that the government was making efforts to manage fertilizer and raw material imports during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Committee Chairman Syed Hussain Tariq directed the Ministry to facilitate farmers at all costs. He called for a standard subsidy system across all provinces and one uniform fertilizer price throughout the country.

The demand for a common subsidy system comes as farmers in different provinces receive different forms of support. The committee welcomed the Sindh government’s subsidy of Rs4,000 per acre for wheat growers and called for wider support for farmers.

The committee also welcomed record wheat sowing for the Rabi 2026 to 2027 season and the announced support price of Rs4,500 per 40 kilograms for the next crop.

The Ministry further informed the committee that rice production had increased by 8 percent.

In another important decision, the committee reviewed the Seed (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Members proposed changes to the draft legislation and recommended that the National Assembly pass the bill with those amendments.

The committee also directed the Chairman of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council to visit Thatta and resolve problems being faced by local farmers.