SIALKOT (July 30, 2010): Former Chairman Pakistan Sports Goods Association Professor Safdar Sandel has said that if a river passes through only one state, there does not arise any problem, as this river lies wholly within the territory or boundaries of one state, it belongs exclusively to that state, eg, river Thames, he said. He was expressing his views on current water problems being confronted by Pakistan, he said such rivers are called national rivers.

KARACHI (July 30, 2010): The profit after tax of Fauji Fertiliser Company (FFC) has increased to Rs 5.101 billion in the half year period ended June 30, 2010 as compared to Rs 4.547 billion earned in the corresponding period in 2009. The company's earning per share increased to Rs 7.52 in the period under review against Rs 6.70 in the same period last year.

LAHORE (July 30, 2010): The Punjab Agriculture department has advised the sunflower growers to complete sowing of their crop by August 10 positively. According to an advisory issued here on Thursday, sunflower is a profitable crop which matures early and can easily be sown in the gap period between two big crops. This crop should be sown in lines and distance between two plants should be nine inches in irrigated areas and 12 inches in barani areas.

ISLAMABAD (July 30, 2010): The Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet meeting with Minister for Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in the chair on Thursday approved import of 375,000 tons sugar. The commodity would be sold at USC outlets during Ramazan at Rs 55 per kg.

ISLAMABAD (July 30, 2010): The role of Chairman Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), S. Anjum Bashir, was stoutly defended by his immediate boss Commerce Minister Makdoom Amin Fahim in the meeting of Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Thursday, well informed sources told Business Recorder.

KARACHI (July 30, 2010): Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) granting relaxation to Trading Corporation of Pakistan on Thursday, allowed the corporation to finalise the deal with lone bidder in the third tender for rice fumigation.

LAHORE (July 30, 2010): Parthenium (Carrot Grass), an alien invasive weed and one of the 10 worst weeds in the world, has started moving from water courses, road side and waste/fallow lands to inside the fields to challenge crops especially in Central Punjab.

ISLAMABAD (July 30, 2010): The Australian government has expressed willingness to extend its co-operation through Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC), a limited company under the administrative control of Commerce Ministry. Australia's expertise in mango post-harvest management is recognised globally because of its technological advancement and research in the agriculture field.

LAHORE (July 30, 2010): Chicken meat prices have risen by Rs 30 per kilogram in three days in the provincial capital due to short supply in the market amid widespread rains and traffic disturbances. Poultry Market Committee told Business Recorder that chicken per kilogram farm gate rate would be Rs 116, supply rate Rs 123, and retail rate Rs 130 and chicken meat rate Rs 195. However chicken meat was sold between Rs 180 and Rs 190 here on Thursday.

KARACHI (July 30, 2010): Pakistan's seafood export has failed to surpass last fiscal year's export mark of $233 million mainly because of a shortage in fish and shrimps catching, exporters said Thursday. The country's seafood export has suffered a decline of over 11 percent in terms of quantity during the fiscal year 2009-10 to 113.219 tons as compared to the seafood export of 127.393 tons in the fiscal year 2008-09, registering a decrease of 14, 174 tons, according to official statistics.