The present government has always striven for making agriculture competitive and profitable through enhanced crop production on sustainable basis both at farm and country level.
A senior officials of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture highlighting major initiatives and achievements during current financial year (2009-10) told APP that the present government decided to review National agricultural policy for uplift of agriculture sector through agricultural modernisation, organisation restructuring, structural transformation, value addition and quality enhancement in order to meet the demands of modern world.
He said that the first draft of National Agricultural Development Policy Framework 2010-15" was prepared and submitted to attached departments for improvement at their end. He said that a strategy for effective implementation of this policy will be worked out.
"Strategy for ensuring regular supply and rational support price policy of major and minor crops was approved by the ECC of the Cabinet and being implemented accordingly", he remarked. Regarding ensuring fair returns to Wheat, Rice, Cotton and Sugarcane growers, the government realised that the poor interest of farmers in the agriculture sector is due to lack of adequate incentives in agriculture.
The government arrived at the policy to ensure, safeguard and guarantee the economic benefits of the farmers of the country successfully accomplishing the strategic role of food production for the entire nation, he added. The government, he said made a record increase in the support price of wheat ie Rs 950/40 kg for year 2008-09 that reflected farmers friendly policy of the government.
"Timely announcement of this attractive Support Price was the most important step of present government that encouraged the farmers to grow more wheat", he remarked. To maintain the momentum of growth in wheat production, the government retained the support price of Rs 950/40 kg for the current year in spite of the declining trend international price of wheat, he said.
The official said that the government also adopted farmers' friendly policy and attained food security. "The attractive support price resulted in record production of about 24 millions tons of wheat during 2008-09 and the government was succeeded in record procurement of 9 million tons of wheat", he remarked. Similarly, he said that the government has also announced the intervention prices for both types of rice ie, IRRI type (Rs 700/40 kg) and for Super Basmati (Rs 1250/40 kg).
This, he said resulted in record production of 6.9 million tons of rice. The PASSCO, he said was instructed to establish their procurement centre in the Kalar belt of Basmati Rice and for IRRI other parts of the country. "This save the farmers from the expected loss due to decline in market price", he added.
For the cotton crops, he said that the government prepared the draft policy for incentive price but pended the decision in view of revenue rated prices the open market in the larger interest of farming community. Similarly, he said that the policy analysis for sugarcane another minor crop were conveyed to the provincial governments for announcing their indicative prices wherever they deem fit.
Regarding Benazir Tractor Scheme for promoting Farm mechanisation, the official said that in order to improve various farming practices, Benazir Tractor Scheme was formulated to provide subsidised tractors and agricultural machinery to the farmers. He said that 10,000 tractors were distributed to farmers with a subsidy of Rs 200,000/tractor". About the availability of Quality seeds, he said that seed is a most important primary input in crop production system.
"Availability of pure quality certified seeds of high yielding varieties of various crops were ensured during the last few seasons to serve the basis for maximised production. About 35,000 mt certified seed of cotton while 15,000 mt seed of rice was available for planting during the season", he remarked.
The senior official said that there were good seed quality reports throughout the crop belts. He observed that the distribution of good quality seeds resulted in better crop stand establishment thus significantly raising the yield bars in various crops like wheat, rice, maize, gram, mung, pearl millet etc. "A special project was started to promote local production of vegetables seeds", he said. The Government, he said also facilitated the access of growers to elite international germplasm of various crops.
"During the year 2008-09, 22 high yielding and stress tolerant hybrid rice varieties were screened and their import was allowed by the government to maximise rice production in the country to import after adaptability testing with the objective to ensure food security and produce exportable surplus for international marke", he remarked.
"Their import was facilitated by exemption of 10% custom duty on their import", he added. This, he said played a key role to elevate the production levels of rice this year. "About 1500 MT hybrid seed of 5 exotic rice hybrids was imported from China and Philippine.
He added that a scientific system of evaluation of exotic hybrid rice varieties has been developed and strictly implemented by the federal government to ensure the import of most promising hybrids in the country and restrict the import of huge number of varieties. "Import of hybrid rice from India was also allowed", he remarked.
He said that import of most productive varieties of hybrid maize, sunflower, canola, fodder sorghum and vegetables was also facilitated. Regarding the Access to Crop Biotechnology through Genetically Modified Varieties of Cotton, he said that present government adopted a policy that Biotechnology would provide powerful tools for sustainable development of agriculture in Pakistan.
"It will ensure food security and poverty alleviation at rural level. Biotechnology can play a significant role in meeting the needs of an increasing and expanding rural as well as urban population in the new millennium", he remarked. He said thus the government planned to introduce hi-tech seeds (hybrid and Bt cotton seeds) in the country with the collaboration of multinational seed companies like Monsanto etc. "Testing of Bt cotton varieties is in process", he remarked.
He said that the Transfer of this technology in the country was also ensured through signing an LOI and developing an MOU with Monsanto. Regarding Funding for Agricultural Development Projects, he said that the government has allocated an amount of Rs 18 billion for 51 projects (36 on-going and 15 new projects) for agricultural development through Public Sector Development Projects (PSDP) during the year 2009-10.
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