Rs 82 billion package to enhance agriculture sector launched

Ministry of National Food Security & Research Wednesday launched Rs 82 billion package to enhance agriculture sector, especially to increase crop yield, improve water scarcity and boost livestock and fisheries sectors, besides creating agro markets, in an effort to benefit small farmers and reduce rural poverty.
Speaking at a presser here, Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Mehbub Sultan said that the package is based on five briefings given to the prime minister by the task force on agriculture formed by the ministry in line with the 100 days agenda.
According to the officials of the ministry, the plan is part of the Rs 200 billion package for the agriculture sector by the federal and provincial governments, to be implemented within two to three years.
Listing the targets, the minister said all the targets are achievable and every effort will be made by the ministry in this regard. He said that an investment of Rs 4 billion will be made through promoting mechanizations and fifty percent subsidy will be given to small farmers on the purchase of crops specific machinery; development of high-yielding varieties and improve provision of certified seeds.
"The international experts will be engaged to set up new and upgrade the existing modern research institute while extension services at all level, agronomy, plant protection, marketing and crop processing methods will be reorganised in order to gain better production with less input," he added.
He asked the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council to gear up with producing better seeds for the farmers, for which the prime minister has sanctioned Rs 4 billion for the PARC. For the development of fisheries sector, he added, the plan envisages promoting shrimp farming, case fish culture and trout farming in the northern areas.
"Costing Rs 8.6 billion, the project will be extended to the coastline areas," he said. A cage farming project is already working at Head Punjnad, he added.
Water efficiency will be improved with Rs 68.60 billion project to improve water course lining, enhancing command area of small and mini dams in Barani areas and water conservation in Barani Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
As a result, 9 million acre feet of water will be saved and made available for irrigation. The ministry says about 47 million acres of feet of water is lost in canals, distributaries and watercourses.
Laser levelling will be provided to small farmers at subsidised prices. The government will arrange 12,000 new lasers over the next two to three years. In Sindh, there are 18,000 lasers while in Punjab the total number of lasers is 12,000, he said.
The prime minister has approved the livestock initiative project for small and medium farmers which contain buffalo calf fattening programme, backyard poultry programme and small and medium dairy farms.
A mega food and mouth disease project will be launched with the help of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations at a cost of Rs 763 million. The UAE and China are Pakistan's big markets but to explore more markets, the project will help make the already infected areas disease free within one year. Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur would soon be declared disease free zone, he said.
The backyard poultry programme will be launched in 36 districts of the country, which will not only reduce stunting and improve nutrition value but also reduce poverty at local level. In Punjab a similar programme has already been started, he said.
Transforming the agriculture market, the government will develop six markets in collaboration with private sector to facilitate consumers to purchase agricultural produce. A state-of-the-art market is being developed in Lahore that will be replicated in other five locations, he said. The Prime Minister has approved the plan to be completed in five years.
Responding to a question about the current sugarcane crisis, the minister said that the issue will be resolved in a couple of days.