INTRODUCTION

The Federal Agricultural and Livestock Products Marketing and Grading Department is one of the oldest departments under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. In the early 1930s the Royal Commission on Agriculture had recommended Grading and Marking of Agricultural Produce in order to ensure on one hand better return to the growers, farmers and on the other regularize export of uniform quality of the produce. Accordingly, an Act namely; the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act 1937 was enforced in 1939. In pursuance of the said Act the Agricultural and Livestock Products Marketing and Grading Department was setup under the then Government of undivided India. In 1972 the Act was amended to restrict the jurisdiction of the Federal Government to the Grading and Marking of Agricultural Produce meant for export or for trade between the provinces.
           
OBJECTIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT

The Federal Agricultural and Livestock Products Marketing and Grading Department provide advice to the Federal Government in the marketing of Agricultural and Livestock Commodities and maintains liaison with the International Marketing Organizations. In order to create confidence among the foreign buyers of our Agricultural and Livestock Commodities, the Department undertakes grading at the time of export and issues quality certificate under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act 1937. For the formulation of National Grade Standards and Specifications of quality, the Department conducts field and laboratory research and facilitate exporters by providing Pesticide residual, aflatoxin and microbiological testing certification to meet the international market requirement.

Facilities for Grading & Quality Certification

In order to check the quality of the exportable commodities the department has setup a Test House at Karachi with facility of physical chemical and microbiological analysis of notified items and facilitate for inspection and quality certification of export consignment.

Agricultural Commodities Research

Agricultural Commodities Research comprises both economic and scientific (Laboratory) research primarily with a view to identifying the deficiencies/ drawbacks in the marketing of Agricultural and Livestock Products as well as laying down the national grade standards of quality for exportable commodities. National Grade Standards of 42 items have since been prepared and enforced.

Marketing Intelligence

The Department collects compiles analyses and disseminates both wholesale and retail prices of various agricultural and livestock commodities in the important markets of the country.

1. Wholesale prices of about 200 items from 40 important markets of the country are collected.
2. Daily wholesale prices of 180 items are collected and supplied to the Press, Custom Department, State Bank of Pakistan, Military Authorities, Federal Bureau of Statistics, TCP and Planning and Development Department of Sindh Government and several interested private agencies.
3. Daily wholesale and retail prices of 80 items from Karachi market are collected and supplied to Radio Pakistan, Karachi for broadcasting.
4. Daily wholesale and retail prices of 22 essential food items in 11 important markets are collected and supplied to Economic Ministries with market commentary on weekly basis. Monthly price summary on potato, onion and pulses is supplied to Food and Agriculture Division for onward transmission to Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).
5. Daily prices of Wheat, Wheat Flour, Sugar (Refined) and all types of chemical fertilizer are collected from 11 important market of Pakistan and submitted to MINFAL.
6. A portal has launched with the name of UKISSAN on Ufone mobile net work to update the end user about daily prices of all essential food items in 12 important markets of all four provinces.