LAHORE: The Punjab government has been giving 50 percent subsidy on the micronutrients and is committed to introducing more measures to facilitate rice sector.
Under the Prime Minister's Agricultural Emergency Program, subsidy is being given to farmers for the approved varieties of paddy seeds, agricultural machinery, large and small components and herbicides with a hefty amount of Rs. 6.32 billion. Punjab Minister for Agriculture Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial stated this while speaking at a launching ceremony of Journal of the Rice Exporters Association Pakistan at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Senior Vice President Ali Hussam Asghar, Chairman Rice Exporters Association Shahjahan Malik, Member Rice Exporters Association Captain Taimur Ahmed (retd), Pir Nazim Hussain Shah and Chief Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture Punjab Shahid Qadir were also present on the occasion.
Under the Prime Minister's Agricultural Emergency Program, various projects are being implemented worth Rs. 300 billion. In these projects, subsidy is being given to farmers for the approved varieties of paddy seeds, agricultural machinery, large and small components and herbicides with a hefty amount of Rs. 6.32 billion; the Minister said adding that rice crop is important for our nutritional needs as well as earning foreign exchange. Pakistani basmati rice is loved all over the world for its aroma and quality.
The Minister said the farmers will be given trans-planters and rice harvesters at 50 percent discount and rice choppers will also be given to the farmers on subsidy. He said that the LCCI will be given representation in the agriculture committee of the Punjab government. He said the government will coordinate with rice exporters in regard with the use of pesticides. Competitions should be held among the farmers to encourage production, adding that the government is working to develop long grain basmati which is internationally acceptable.
During the financial year 2018-19, rice was exported 2.19 million tonnes and country earned foreign exchange of $ 2.04 billion. Under the Prime Minister Agricultural Emergency Program, a plan to increase paddy production per acre has been launched in 15 districts of Punjab which will increase the average production of coarse, and basmati varieties of paddy by 20 and 10 men per acre respectively, he said.
The provincial government is striving to make the agricultural sector active and developed and for this purpose, despite financial constraints, priority is given to the agriculture sector by the federal and provincial governments, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Senior Vice President LCCI Ali Hussam Asghar said that there is a lack of Research & Development, especially in developing hybrid seed varieties for Basmati. Other countries, despite of the fact that we have most suitable soil for basmati cultivation, have developed more hybrid varieties of rice. He also said the most effective remedy for lowering the cost of production is increasing the per acre yield. This has been witnessed in case of coarse variety where hybrid rice replaced IRRI and took tremendous yield jump in Sindh. He was of the view that there is a need to work in collaboration with the private and public research institutes to introduce new varieties especially hybrid in Basmati rice, which could ensure quantum jump in its production thus leading to more export surplus as well as the economic well-being of the farmers.
He stressed upon the need of participation of private sector in seed development; the current MNFSRD regime for seed certification needs to be shifted to truth-in-labelling regime. He pointed out the areas that need intensive work including seed development, Better farm practices and higher yields through water management and mechanical transplanting and Research and Development.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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