Agriculture Sector is the single largest employer and backbone of our national economy. Government of the Punjab has, therefore, taken a number of multi-dimensional initiatives to achieve self-reliance and sustainable growth in this sector.
Conservation of water resources tops the priority list of the Government and a crash programme has been launched to improve all the unattended watercourses within the next four years.
In order to provide affordable credit to farmers, the Punjab Government persuaded the Bank of Punjab to reduce its mark up from 14% to 9%.
The commercial banks have also followed suit and reduced interest rates from 9-32%. Water rate has been fixed at Rs 50A per acre for rabi season and Rs, 85/- per acre for kharif crop whereas, abiana for orchards has been reduced from Rs 280A to Rs 250A per acre.
Similarly, the ceiling for levy of agriculture tax has been raised from 5 acres to 12.5 acres, benefiting millions of farmers.
A separate Minister and a Special Secretary for Agricultural Marketing have been appointed to reform the agricultural marketing and a corporate body is being established to minimise market distortions.
The Government is also cognisant of quality issues and has embarked upon launching a pesticide residue laboratory and an integrated pest management programme besides accreditation of soil testing and pesticide quality analysis laboratories and their ISO Certification.
Since, agricultural research is an engine of growth in Punjab, the Agriculture Department is revamping the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute.
Faisalabad and establishing an apex body for research. Above all, on my direction, one lac acres of land shall be allotted to landless farmers along-with a financial assistance package for development.
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