Mexican mayor found dead following abduction

The body of Zacualpan Mayor Jose Nava Altamirano was discovered in a state neighbouring the one where he was abducted, said Alfredo Albiter, spokesman of Mexico State’s Attorney General’s Office.

Albiter said armed assailants had stormed into a meeting between Nava Altamirano and farmers in Zacualpan, Mexico State.

But his body was found in the western state of Guerrero. His body was taken to a morgue for autopsy in the Guerrero city of Iguala. Nava Altamirano’s abduction Friday sparked a firefight that left one of the mayor’s bodyguards dead.

Photos of that scene show bloodstains on the wall of a warehouse-like structure where the mayor had been meeting with the farmers. Located about 175 kilometres south of Mexico City, the municipality of Zacualpan neighbours the resort city of Ixtapan de la Sal, whose mayor was gunned down in 2008. Mayors of some Mexican towns have been targeted in recent years after getting caught in the middle of drug turf battles. At least three drug gangs are battling for control of Mexico State’s drug routes.

Farmers protest against sale of fertile lands to foreign companies

Staff Report

HYDERABAD: The farmers of Hyderabad staged a dancing protest on Thursday against the sale of fertile lands of Sindh to foreign companies for corporate farming.

The protestors led by Green Rural Development Organization and Hari Porhiyat Council marched from Poonam Chowk to Sindh Museum.

The participants of the rally bitterly criticized the decision of the government, saying that only the farmers have right over these lands and it is unjust with them to give the lands to foreign companies.

They demanded the government to withdraw the decision immediately. Trend Pk

Fertilizer price soars Rs75 per bag

KARACHI: Government will have to provide subsidy amounting to Rs1 billion per month in the wake of gas cut to the industry and subsequent rise in the price of fertilizer.

Sources of fertilizer industry told Geo News that fertilizer companies across the country increased the price of fertilizer by Rs50 to Rs75 per bag. As a result the rate of 500 kilogram bag has climbed to Rs865 from Rs840.

They said about 300,000 tons fertilizer may have to be imported following the gas cut to the fertilizer industry. This could increase the total import bill of the country by 22.5 million dollars.

Government will have to provide subsidy amounting to Rs1 billion per month to the farmers for the import of fertilizer.

Some Elements Are Trying To Misguide Business Community: Farooq Saeed

Federal Minister for Textile Industry Rana Muhammad Farooq Saeed Khan has said that if necessary the government would buy cotton from the farmers next year.
Rana Farooq said that the statements regarding the issues of yarn exports are ambiguous and some elements are trying to misguide business community in this regard. The minister informed that the government has issued quota for exporting 537 million kilograms of yarn but as much as 614 million kilograms of yarn would be exported. He expressed the resolve that all genuine problems of the textile sector would be solved on priority basis as government is serious in mitigating the sufferings of all stakeholders.
He said that the government is fully committed to facilitate the business community particularly textile industry so as to increase the exports of this sector. He Khan maintained that the government had to face multifarious problems like load-shedding, terrorism and extremism which jolted the country’s economy during the past two years.

SKorean Farmers Protest Against Free Trade With US

SKorean Farmers Protest Against Free Trade With US, More than twenty thousand South Korean farmers rallied on Tuesday to denounce free trade with the United States, ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit to the country.
In downtown Seoul, farmers wearing red headbands held a massive rally, chanting anti-government slogans and denouncing the free trade deal with the US. They said the United States’ cheap agricultural products will ruin their life. “I think we should deliver our views on South Korea’s agricultural situation to US President Obama. I also think we should have a well-balanced agreement between the two countries on agricultural issues, so that we farmers can make our own living,” said Kang Woo-hyun, a leader of the protest. Angry farmers demonstrated burning Korean alphabets meaning “solution to the rice crisis” and also burned bags of rice to protest the government’s agricultural policies. They said the government was threatening their living and urged the government to come up with better policies and sincere support.
South Korea has submitted the free-trade deal to parliament for approval. Some studies said it could boost the two countries’ $78 billion annual trade by a quarter. The ruling conservative Grand National party has pledged to pass it soon. However, US President Barack Obama, who will soon visit the country, had called for the South Korea trade deal to be re-negotiated because he says the agreements’ auto provision favours South Korean automakers too much. Obama also said on Sunday in Singapore that Washington would take steps to reduce the United States’ long-term deflect and would work with South Korea to move forward on the free trade deal.

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SKorean Farmers Protest Against Free Trade With US was first posted on November 17, 2009 at 10:32 pm.