Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will announce first-ever agriculture policy for Punjab on February 20. Draft of the policy has already been prepared and approved by the provincial cabinet on October 2018, said Minister Agriculture Punjab Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial, Minister for Information & Culture Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan and Chairman Taskforce for Pesticides and Fertilizers Malik Masood at a joint press conference on Wednesday.
They spoke at length about the government's initiatives regarding agriculture sector to boost the growth and said the agricultural policy will mainly focus on reforming agriculture sector and agro-industry to enhance its role in the national economy.
The government has allocated almost Rs 36 billion during 2018-19 for agriculture growth. It has increased the limit of Rabi interest free loans from Rs 25,000 to 30,000 and distributed interest-free loans among 1,01,228 registered farmers worth Rs 5 billion during Rabi 2018-19, they added.
The Agri minister also disclosed that the government has started crop insurance (Takkaful) for appeasement of farming community in nine districts and till date 30,000 farmers have been insured against rice, cotton and wheat crops.
The government has to import edible oil worth Rs 350 billion, so it has started campaign to increase oilseed crop area and production. A subsidy of Rs 5000 per acre will be provided on sunflower cultivation and in future Canola will also be added to this subsidy scheme so that import bills of edible oil could be lessened in future.
The minister further said that the government has decided to provide subsidy on DAP fertilizers at Rs 500 per bag, Nitrophos Rs 200 per bag and subsidy on potash fertilizers Sulphate of Potash (SOP) & Murat of Potash (MOP) at Rs 800 and Rs 500 respectively per bag.
The government will also provide subsidy of Rs 1000 per bag on cotton seed to the registered farmers in District Multan, Vehari, Khanewal, Rahim Yar Khan, DG Khan and Rajan Pur for an area of 1,00,000 acres and hopefully the federal government will also provide same subsidy for another hundred thousand acres.
The government is also revamping agriculture marketing system under Punjab Agriculture Marketing Regulatory Act (PAMRA) for betterment of farming community and to minimize the role of a middle man.
The government is also establishing model mandi at a cost of Rs 5 billion at Lakkho Derra. It also paid special heed to recovery of sugarcane farmers' pending liabilities to sugar mills. It appointed nine advisors to Chief Minister Punjab for resolving matter of sugarcane and this year the sugarcane crops of 46 million metric tons is expected. The government is swiftly handing this issue and all sugar mills are being operational during crushing season and there is no hue and cry of farming community over this issue.
The minister also briefed about water saving schemes and said this year 2100 water courses will be improved and drip and sprinkler irrigation system will be installed on 12,000 acres.
To promote horticultural crops, the Agriculture department also organized Pakistan Horti Expo 2019 on 21st and 22nd January, he added.
Minister for Information & Culture Fayyaz-ul-Hussan Chohan said the government aims to make agriculture sector a vibrant and profitable sector.
"We are fully aware that without boosting this sector, Pakistan cannot make a progressive state," he added.
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