Peshawar, Pakistan — The farmer community, particularly tobacco growers, of the province will have to suffer from what the NWFP government claimed to benefit the agriculture sector through tax reforms announced in the annual budget for 2008-09.

In its budget proposals, the Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party coalition government has fixed water rates (abiana) for various crops being cultivated in the Frontier province.

A flat rate on edible crops including wheat, sugarcane, vegetables, rice, pulses and barley, etc has been proposed Rs150 per acre while non-foodable crops including tobacco, plantation, shaftal etc will have Rs200 per acre as water rate in its respective seasons.

Wheat, tobacco, sugarcane, barley, shaftal and vegetables are the main crops of the Frontier province wherein only the sugarcane growers would benefit from the proposed rates in the next budget while the tobacco growers, who were earlier paying Rs32.60 water rate, would now pay Rs200 as fixed rate per acre according to the new taxes.

The existing rate for foodable crops in ‘kharif’ season including sugarcane as Rs624, vegetables Rs405, sunflower, peanut Rs232, bajra Rs178 and gram and fodder crops Rs137 would be now turned into flat rate of Rs150 per acre.

The existing rates of the non-foodable crops for kharif season for following crops are: tobacco Rs32.60, plantation Rs99.20 and uncultivated area which has got one irrigation (Wahn) Rs60.20 would now be increased to Rs200 per acre as fixed rate.

Similarly, the existing rates of edible items of rabi crops including wheat, barley, pulses, rice and vegetable like peas, turnips were Rs185.60, Rs178.40, Rs290 and Rs405 respectively would now be received as Rs150 fixed rate of abiana according to new budget proposals.

The wheat crop, cultivated on thousands of acres of land, will get only Rs35 benefit during the new fiscal year. The non-foodable crops of rabi season including shaftal Rs137.60, village and district board plantation Rs99.20 and uncultivated lands Rs60.20 would now be raised to Rs200 per acre land as fixed rates. An allocation of Rs715.42 million has been made for 55 projects including 25 ongoing and 30 new projects in the agriculture sector in the next financial year.

(Daily The News)