Promotion of mechanised farming is the top priority of the Punjab government as it could ensure economic development of the province and huge funds are being allocated for this purpose. The provincial government last year extended a subsidy of Rs two billion on distribution of 10,000 tractors among the farmers under the same strategy and another 10,000 will be distributed this year.
This was stated by the Punjab Minister for Agriculture Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh here Wednesday, while speaking at a ceremony to mark the end of training course of those agricultural engineers who joined the agricultural engineering wing of the Punjab Agriculture Department.
The minister said that further progress in the agriculture sector was impossible without adoption of latest technology. For this purpose the government is not only creating awareness about latest technological developments among the growers, but also encouraging those with attractive prizes who have achieved record production of various crops.
He said that the government would also be distributing agricultural implements with a subsidy of Rs 1 billion under the same scheme of promotion of mechanised farming. On the other hand, Rs 550 million had also been allocated to promote tunnel technology, while the government was also carrying out repair of present bulldozers with the Punjab Agriculture Department and purchase of new bulldozers.
He said that promotion of mechanised agriculture would ensure increase in per acre yield, prosperity of the farmer and strengthening of the economy. The provincial minister said that neither attention was paid on promotion of agriculture sector by the previous governments nor they focussed on any project of power generation.
He said that the present government was working day and night for solving the economic issues of the country. He called upon the newly inducted agricultural engineers to perform their duties with full devotion and responsibility and meet the challenge of promotion of mechanised farming so as Pakistan could join the rank of developed countries.