The government has decided to increase wheat production target to 25 million tons for 2009-10 against 24 million tons last year with a new slogan "produce more".
Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal said due to unfavourable weather conditions this year, sugarcane production target will not be achieved, adding that the rice production target will also decline against previous year's 6.5 million tons to 6.3 million tons.
Explaining the new slogan "produce more," the minister said: "We are committed to enhancing agricultural production and in the new agriculture policy the government has decided to increase per acre yield instead of bringing more area under wheat cultivation." Gondal said the government intends to enhance the agricultural productivity through a dynamic and vibrant agriculture policy.
The minister stressed the sugar millers to purchase cane from farmers and settle their outstanding dues so that they could produce sugarcane as per the country's requirement. The minister noted that until the sugar-millers facilitate farmers, there is a fear that the sugar industry could not achieve stability. Gondal urged the commercial banks to provide farmers better loan facilities so that the agriculture production could be increased.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers for agriculture and secretaries of agriculture and other high officials of the concerned ministries/departments. While reiterating the government commitment to provide maximum facilities to farmers, Gondal said the PPP government is committed to eradicating poverty through modern means of agriculture to make it a progressive and competitive sector.
He said the ministry in consultation with all the relevant departments has reviewed the status of Kharif crops (cotton, rice and sugarcane) and also reviewed the meteorological conditions, water availability and other relevant inputs. He apprised the participants regarding the estimated targets for cotton production, which has been fixed 12.1 million bales for the year 2009-10. Similarly, rice production target has also been fixed at 6.4 million tons.
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