Crop Maximisation Project, aimed at increasing production, is being launched in the country at a cost of Rs 8 billion, said federal minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Sikandar Hayat Bosan, here on Saturday.
Addressing the Farmers Convention on the cultivation of sunflower the minister said under this plan those peasants having less than half square (12.5 acres) land living in 13,000 villages will be provided soft loans at nominal mark-up. He said these loans will not be issued by any bank but by the village council concerned.
The minister said Pakistan has singed an agreement with Argentina to import the best possible seven seed varieties of sunflower which will help to increase our per acre yield of the commodity significantly.
He said the country has singed several agreements regarding the cultivation of BT cotton, which will open up new vistas of higher cotton yield, ultimately benefiting the farmers. Sikandar Hayat Bosan said the federal cabinet is likely to approve in its next meeting the "Plant Breeders' Rights Act" which will introduce a new culture of research on evolving new seeds.
He said after its enforcement, the seed companies would be able to earn handsome profit on their seeds. They will also be responsible to protect the rights of the growers concerned, he added. He said a Drip Irrigation project is being launched across the country at a cost of Rs 7 billion. He said four districts of South Punjab, ie Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan have been included in the project.
The federal minister said the farmers will be offered 15 percent non-refundable financial assistance under this project. This project would help to save irrigation water for more land.
He said under the national programme for the improvement of water courses as many as 40,000 water courses will be brick lined by June 2007. He said a total of 87,000 water courses are being brick lined at a cost of Rs 66 billion across the country under the programme launched by the President Pervez Musharraf.
Sikandar Bosan said it is very heartening that the big investors are interested to invest their capital up to Rs 1 billion for the development of livestock. MoUs are being signed with the aspirants, he added.
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