'Punjab government striving to pull farmers out of financial crisis'

Govern-ment of Punjab is striving to pull the farmers out of financial crisis thereby to make them prosperous and net the growing trend of migration to big cities and to provide them employment in their localities.
Addressing the participants of farmers' Convention and distribution of flood relief goods among the affected farmers of nine villages of Atara Hazari here at Moza Kharal Sipra, District Jhang on Saturday afternoon, Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh, Provincial Agricultural Minister said that despite of having numerous sectors involved in national development, agricultural sector providing a lion share with 52 percent in the national GDP.
Ahmad Ali Aulakh was of the view that even today a progressive farmer is getting 60 mounds wheat from one acre, but national wheat production is remain stagnant at 27 mounds which could be multiplied through applying modern ways of farming.
Ahmad Ali Aulakh disclosed that Punjab government had procured wheat from the farmers by getting loans of 97 billion rupees and now construction of new stores for 3 million tons, processing plants, and cold storage is on the cards. The minister informed that owing to his government pro-farmer steps, a farmer could level his land by getting laser land levelling by spending only 650 rupees per acre.
While acknowledging the role of University of Agriculture Faisalabad is a vanguard of a paramount mission enabling the farmers to transform themselves to modern and mechanised farming and to take the private sector on board by providing multiple facilities to the farmers.
Earlier, presenting welcome address, UAF VC Professor Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that after completing a social and agricultural survey, out of 300 villages UAF earmarked 9 villages of Athara Hazaari Tehsil to focus its activities by limiting itself to the able resources. He said that UAF has distributed 600 mounds wheat seeds, 4000 packets of barseem and vegetable seeds, 1400 packets of minor agricultural implements, and now provided two drill as well as one wheat bed planter to the area through extension staff of the provincial government.
He said that UAF after depositing 6.7 million rupees in Punjab Government Flood Relief Account, UAF faculty and students by setting up a fund raising camp at Jail Road collected 12.5 million rupees cash, Rs 0.20 million through holding a charity show, and Rs 6.20million by donating food, water, animal feed, vaccination, clothing and relief packages for bride and bride grooms.
He said that when the flood was in Sargodha and Khushab, our veterinary teams rushed to villages of Khushab and vaccinated thousands of animals.
DG Extension Dr Anjum Ali Butter, national marketing manager of Ali Akbar Group Syed Sajjad Hussain Shah, MPA Azam Cheela, Farmer'srepresentative Sharfraz Hussain Sipra, Dean Agriculture Faculty Professor Dr Muhammad Ashfaq and Dr Ehsan Ullah Chehal also spoke on the occasion. Later the relief goods distributed among the victims of Moza Kharal Sepra, Lurca, Doosa, Subhana Sharaqi and Gharbi, Alma Sharqi & Gharbi, Kot Mal Dev and Kotli Baker Shah.