LAHORE: Farmers' organisations representatives have termed the allocation made for agriculture and food security in the budget 2020-21 as insufficient to cater to the needs of a sector which is not only feeding over 220 million people but also fetching foreign exchange through exports.

Pakistan Kissan Ittehad (PKI) President Khalid Khokhar while talking to Business Recorder in his initial reaction to the proposed federal budget for the next financial year said the allocations made are peanuts. He said that main demand of farmers i.e., lowering the electricity rates of agricultural tube-wells has totally been ignored. There is no exemption made on agricultural income tax while electricity bills waiver for the period of lockdown has also not been offered as is given to the industrial sector.

"Though the Government claims that agriculture is its first priority and big wigs including Prime Minister talked about it a lot in cabinet meetings and other platforms but the budget does not reflect it," he regretted.

Khokhar said that recent issue locust swarm has hit this sector hard but the department which is supposed to fight against it is devoid of required infrastructure.

He said that being grower they are ashamed that the country has to import wheat but it is just because of the wrong policies of the government.

Farmers Bureau of Pakistan (FBP) President Dr. Zafar Hayyat said that the federation after 18th amendments has to deal with three major sectors including food security, uplift of cotton crop which is our major export earner and plant protection. While the federation also deal with grain procurement to some extent.

He said allocation of Rs 12 billion is peanuts and it should have been more than double to bring any substantial impact on these sectors.

Farmers Associate Pakistan (FAP) Director Abad-ur-Rehman also terming the budget insufficient said that it seemed to be focusing on day to day expenses and no substantial funding is offered for seed certification, research subsidies and water projects.

Progressive Farmer and Climate Change Champion Aamer Hayyat Bhandara while talking to this scribe said that Rs 12 billion allocations is not enough to find if locust attacks Pakistan again. He said that most of the Rs 6 billion funds for Climate Change will go to Billion Tree project.

He said that Rs 12 billion of divided on a population of 220-250 million would provide only Rs 55 per person.