PM's agriculture emergency programme: backyard poultry initiative programme kicks off in Punjab

The federal government on Monday launched 'Backyard poultry initiative' under the Prime Minister's National Agriculture Emergency Programme under which 5 million desi (local) chickens will be distributed among public across the country at subsidised rates aimed to provide adequate animal protein to undernourished population and alleviate poverty.
The government has launched Prime Minister's National Agriculture Emergency Programme (NAEP) of Rs 309 billion in different areas of agriculture sector on cost sharing basis between the federal and provincial governments. The programme includes conservation of water, increase in yields of major crops, livestock initiative for small and medium farmers, transformation of agriculture produce market, and increased access of farmers to finance.
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan while speaking at the launching ceremony of 'Backyard Poultry Initiative' at Poultry Research Institute Rawalpindi said that under this programme, 5 million pre-vaccinated high laying desi chickens will be distributed throughout the country in the rural areas including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
He said that the total cost of the project is Rs 1,635.471 million. Of the total cost, 30 percent would be borne by the federal and provincial governments while 70 percent would be the beneficiary's share, he said.
Sultan said that the programme is one of the steps for the provision of animal protein and other food nutrients to undernourished population. "The provision of cheap poultry products is a good step to address the issue of malnutrition," he said.
He said that according to National Nutrition Survey 2018-19, 40 percent of children up to five years of age in Pakistan have different physical and mental health issues, and according to the survey conducted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Pakistan ranks 3rd in this menace. "We need to take concrete steps to address the issues in small children and achieve zero hunger targets," the minister said.
He said that that under this programme, the government will bear 30 percent cost of a set of five chickens (four female and one male) and 70 percent will be paid by the beneficiary. As per the programme, price of a set of five chickens (four female and one male) 80 to 85 days old is Rs 1,050 while its actual price is Rs 1500, he said.
The minister said that the programme has been launched in Punjab province and will soon be started in other provinces.
Senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Jahangir Khan Tareen said that the previous governments during the last 12 years had completely ignored agriculture sector which resulted in decline in growth of agriculture sector. The present government has launched agriculture emergency in order to make Pakistan able to export agriculture products instead of importing.
He said that the government will strictly monitor Backyard Poultry Initiative in order to make it successful and result-oriented. The government has also plans for fishery sector and will take concrete steps to improve cotton crop productivity, Tareen said.
Provincial Minister for Livestock & Dairy Development Punjab, Husnain Dareshak said on the occasion that this project is a big leap towards self-reliance and poverty alleviation. The minister distributed chickens among the beneficiaries at the end of the event.