The Punjab government has allocated Rs 3 billion for ADP 2008-09 to meet the challenges of food security and increasing the growth rate in agriculture for employment generation and poverty reduction in rural areas.
According to the budget documents, Rs 628.5 million has been earmarked for water management, Rs 934.955 million for agriculture extension, Rs 270.074 million for agriculture research, Rs 177.389 million for agriculture mechanisation, and Rs 944.175 million for Punjab Agriculture Research Board (PARB). Comparison of the ADP shows that the previous government had earmarked Rs 2.8 billion for 2007-08, which was later revised downward to Rs 954.04 million.
The strategy and objectives of ADP for agriculture sector include ensuring food security, enhancing productivity of crops through reducing the yield gap between progressive farmers and average farmers; promoting efficient use of water through precision land levelling and high efficiency (drip and sprinkler) irrigation systems; importing substitution of oilseeds by enhancing production; ensuring availability of agriculture credit especially for small and medium farmers; improving income of farmers through the support price mechanism, reducing post-harvest losses and promoting processing/value-addition; improving marketing infrastructure and efficiency in use of agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertiliser and pesticides through technical advice and check on quality and price and ensuring timely availability to the farmers.
The strategic interventions mentioned in the budget documents are targeting food security through productivity enhancement of wheat (total cost Rs 1,000 million, allocation for 2008-09: Rs 201 million), 25,000 (one in each villages) small farmers demonstration plots (weedicide and fertiliser), seed cum-fertiliser band placement drills (15,000 units) and spray machines (75,000 units) will be distributed through ballot on 50 percent subsidy.
The government will also give incentives for highest wheat produce and rehabilitation of marginal lands for cereal production in four districts namely Kasur, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala & Nankana (total cost: Rs 800 million, ADP 2008-09: Rs 200 million), rehabilitation of 169,000 hectares of marginal lands through soil treatment like gypsum, efficient use of water and social mobilisation and promotion of tunnel technology for vegetable production (total cost: Rs 551 million, allocation for 2008-09 Rs 240 million).
FARM MECHANIZATION FOR FOOD SECURITY TOTAL COST: Rs 541 million, allocation for 2008-09: Rs 138 million), machines/implements to service provider/farmers through open balloting at subsidised rates eg rotavators, chisel plough, disc harrow, M B plough, rota drill, zero till, turbo seeder and reaper and development of wheat analytical laboratory at Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad (total cost: Rs 147 million, ADP 2008-09: Rs 100 million) are the other major interventions.
Under water efficiency improvement, the government has allocated Rs 110 million in the next budget for national programme for improvement of watercourses and Rs 5 million for promotion of high efficiency irrigation systems in Pakistan with Chinese assistance. Water conservation and productivity enhancement through high efficiency irrigation system (total cost: Rs 1171 million, allocation for 2008-09: Rs 314 million).
Similarly, for the livestock and dairy development, the government has allocated a sum of Rs 1.9 billion which is 58 percent higher than the current year's allocation of Rs 1.2 billion.
The major initiatives are establishment of milk processing plants at Layyah & Sialkot, formation of community organisations, milk supply chain for provision of 1000 milk cooling tanks, promotion of milk processing, enhancing milk production in the province and Barani livestock development through women empowerment, while the budget also emphasises on Breed improvement for meeting the objectives of enhancing meat production, preservation of genetic pool of Nili Ravi buffalo, Sahiwal cow and Cholistani cattle breed.
In the fisheries sector the government has proposed to spend Rs 300 million during 2008-09 as against the allocation of Rs 120 million in 2007-08. The major initiatives are institutional support to fishing co-operatives in low-income areas with in Taunsa Barrage, setting up of Diagnostic laboratory and facilities for water and soil quality and diseases at Muzaffargarh, upgradation of hatcheries network to meet expanded development needs.
The benchmark for production of fish seed has been fixed at 78 million, fish production target has been fixed at 77,000 million tons and area proposed to bring under fish farming under private sector has been proposed to be 39,000 acres.
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