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Junejo urges edible oil producers to ensure proper blending
ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP): Expressing concern over sub-standard
blending of edible oil, Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture
and Livestock, Khair Muhammad Junejo has urged the producers
to abide by the prescribed rules.
The Minister was speaking in a programme aired by Pakistan
Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) on Thursday evening.He said the
minimum standard of blending the soft and hard oil is 35
percent and 65 percent respectively which should be maintained
imperatively.
Junejo said blending of edible oil on prescribed standards
will enable the consumers to have healthy brands of this food
stuff on one hand and will promote its local production on the
other.
He urged the Industry and Health Departments to work jointly
to ensure the proper blending of edible oil saying their
effort will provide incentives to farmers to enhance the
production of oil seed.
To a question he said, the local production of oil seed has
seen considerable decline due to rapid low in the prices of
this stuff in international markets. Elaborating, he said the
prices have dropped from $ 750 per tone to $ 250 during the
previous few years.
This characteristic of the situation has discouraged the
farmers, he added. Disagreeing to an audience
observation regarding the failure of Olive Oil cultivation in
country he said, the process is going on in NWFP and
Balochistan provinces on accelerated pace with bright
prospects.
Furthermore he said in NWFP and Balochistan provinces there is
considerable wild growth of Olive Oil plants which in its
existing position has poor oil productivity.
Experiments are being made to convert this naturally grown
crops into a good oil producing plants by engrafting methods,
he said.
He urged the masses to decrease the consumption of edible oil
and ghee saying its per capita consumption is much more in
Pakistan if compared with other countries.
In Pakistan its per capita consumption is 14 kg while in
developed countries it is around 2 kg, he explained.Senior
Joint Secretary Ministry of Industries, Shakeel Ahmed also
present in the programme said, country's import bill on edible
oil stand second biggest involving a huge amount of foreign
exchange.
This characteristic of the commodity invites enhanced
attention for its local production, he added. He said
government is taking steps to check the circulation of below
standard edible oil in markets.
Directives will be issued to provincial departments within
next few days to serve seven-day notices to all the producers
whether they are licensed or otherwise, he said.
The producers will be asked to give the detail about the
quality standards of their product on the containers and their
samples will be tested independently to know whether the given
details are true.
If otherwise, the action will be taken against the producers
who circulate the below standard product, he said. To a
question he said, laws are already there to ensure the
standards. All what needed is, to implement these laws which
the government is committed to do.
February 14, 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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