KARACHI (September 03, 2010): In order to save Khairpur-Nathan (KN) Shah and Mehar from inundation, the Irrigation Department Sindh on Thursday breached the Johi Canal at Kali Mori to drain the floodwater, gushing from Tori Bund breaches, in the Manchar Lake. Due to the breaches, floodwater made its way in Johi Town and adjoining villages and is now advancing rapidly towards the Johi City.

KARACHI (September 03, 2010): Indus River at the Kotri Barrage is flowing in 'Very High Flood' and would remain in the same situation during the next 24 hours, officials of the Irrigation department informed Business Recorder on Thursday. They said Indus River at the Guddu Barrage is flowing in Medium Flood where upstream was recorded at 4,44,096 cusecs and the downstream at 4,30,367 cusecs.

ISLAMABAD (September 03, 2010): Minister for Industries and Production Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani informed the National Assembly on Thursday that an increase of Rs 75 to Rs 100 in a bag of urea in June 2010 was due to 20 percent curtailment of gas to the fertiliser sector. It is expected that when this gas cut due to power crunch is restored later this year the urea price will go back to around Rs 800 per bag.

KARACHI (September 03, 2010): An irrigation engineer of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has emphasised the need that the government should take appropriate actions to provide seeds, fertiliser and other inputs to farmers and repair irrigation system on priority bases in the flood-affected areas.

ISLAMABAD (September 02, 2010): Pakistan has suffered damages worth Rs 350 to Rs 500 billion to infrastructure, livestock and standing crops by the devastating floods. Addressing a press conference, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira on Wednesday said about 20 percent of Pakistan's irrigation infrastructure, livestock and crops have been destroyed and perished by the recent floods.

LAHORE (September 02, 2010): Growers' organisations strongly reacting to the increase in diesel prices have said it will bring already hard hit farmers under further financial burden making it impossible to utilise machinery in agriculture. Agri-Forum Pakistan Chief, Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal while talking to Business Recorder said that around 3.5 billion liters of diesel was used by the growers and farmers in the agriculture sector.

LAHORE (September 02, 2010): Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB) has approved a high priority research project 'improvement of value chains and tradability of farmer's produce' worth Rs 18.98 million. Approval of this project was given in 23rd meting of Board of Directors of the Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB) held here on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD (September 02, 2010): Ministry of Industries and Production (MoI&P) and Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) are presenting contradictory figures with respect to sugar stocks held by mills, informed sources revealed to Business Recorder. According to the MoI&P, stocks with the mills were 536,326 tons as of August 31, 2010 whereas PSMA claims the stocks with its members mills were less than 0.4 million tons.

ISLAMABAD (September 02, 2010): The government has supplied 3,500 tons of wheat by air to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) on the Prime Minister' special instructions to avert any possibility of food shortage in the area. Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Nazar Muhammad Gondal said this while chairing a meeting to review the food items supply and availability in the northern parts of the country, here on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD (September 02, 2010): United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has asked international community to give more funds as wheat planting season is fast approaching in Pakistan where floods have destroyed country's most of the wheat seed stocks. Wheat, is staple food of the country, which is planted from September to November and more than half a million tonnes of wheat seed stocks have been destroyed by the floods, said a FAO report released here on Wednesday.