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Sustainable Agriculture Action Group opposes corporate
farming
ISLAMABAD (July 06 2002) : The organisers of Sustainable
Agriculture Action Group (SAAG), an umbrella of civil society
organisations and farmers groups, claimed here on Friday that
they were not allowed to hold a conference at a local hotel to
express their concern about corporate farming.
A local hotel management refused to host the conference on
corporate farming without mentioning any reason, says a press
release issued by SAAG Secretariat in the evening.
"We booked a hall at a local hotel for the conference and paid
advance but the management refused to make arrangements at the
eleventh hour without assigning any reason", Secretary SAAG,
Roshan Malik, told Business Recorder. He believes that the
hotel management might have refused at the behest of the
officials who support the idea of corporate farming.
Later, the organisers hold a press conference at the premises
of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and
announced to oppose the corporate farming with full force at
each forum.
Small landless farmers have already been raising serious
concern about corporate farming and want that the government
should address their concern before entering into this field.
The incentive package approved by the federal government to
boost corporate farming in Pakistan has been a major concern
to them. The small farmers apprehend that under new farming
system they would be deprived from growing opportunity.
On the other hand the government believes that corporate
farming is a must to give boost to agricultural production and
hence increase income of the growers.
SAAG organisers took the same plea at the press briefing and
declared that they would arrange more seminars and conferences
across the country to warn the growers about negative effect
of corporate farming.
Courtesy Business Recorder ARIF
RANA
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Pakissan.com;
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