Announcing the allocation of over Rs two billion for drip irrigation system and provision of certified cotton seeds to improve the cotton production, Punjab chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Tuesday said that innovative programmes will be launched to increase agri-productivity and to help enhance the income of the farmers.
The CM chaired a four-hour long meeting at CM's office, here on Tuesday in which the performance and future roadmap of agriculture, food, revenue, forest and wildlife departments were reviewed in detail.
Sources disclosed that the CM desired to extend all-out benefits to the farming community to help improve their living standard.
He called for facilitating the farmers for promotion of agriculture sector.
The meeting also decided to devise a comprehensive programme for promoting hatchery in the province. A pilot project will also be devised for the production of shrimps.
Addressing the meeting, the CM said that subsidy will be given for certified cotton seeds while sale of unpacked seeds will be banned. He also directed that action should be initiated against the production and sale of spurious pesticides. The farmers will be facilitated for sowing sunflower, olives and canola and special measures will also be taken for increasing the production of oil-seed crops. In this regard, the farmers will be given subsidy, he added.
He said that Punjab government has launched crops insurance adding that its target should be achieved within the given timeframe. A comprehensive plan of wheat procurement should be devised for the current year, he added.
The CM directed that the Cabinet Committee should be constituted for upcoming wheat procurement campaign and this committee would prepare necessary monitoring mechanism. He said that trees plantation campaign should be made a success at every cost and directed that the detail of saplings planted under the campaign should be provided to him. He expressed the displeasure over planting less number of trees in DG Khan and sought a report from the Secretary Forests in this regard.
The CM maintained that Punjab has a tremendous potential of fish and shrimp production and added that a 'Fish Health Lab' will also be established.
The meeting also deliberated upon the proposal of giving soft loans to the farmers for promoting cage fish farming.
He said that cage fish farming will help generate new job opportunities. He also approved the pilot project of computerization of urban lands. Under the pilot project, the urban lands record will be computerized. He directed that provision of land records should be ensured to the overseas Pakistanis through their respective embassies.
Provincial Minister Agriculture Nauman Langrial, Minister for Forests & Fisheries Sabtain Khan, Special Assistant for Food Khurram Khan Leghari, Special Assistant for Forests and Fisheries Amir Muhammad Khan, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Secretaries of Agriculture, Food, Forests & Fisheries departments, Secretary (Implementation) to CM, Secretary (Coordination) to CM, DG Punjab Land Record Authority, Head of Special Monitoring Unit and senior officers attended the meeting.
Moreover, members of National and Provincial Assemblies from various districts met CM Sardar Usman Buzdar and discussed issues pertaining to their respective constituencies.
Talking to them, the CM said that PAF falcons have foiled the coward act of the enemy and evil face of India has again been exposed to the world.