Punjab has exported six million tonnes of potatoes during the year 2018-19 which is 100,000 tonnes more than the exports made during the corresponding year.

Government is making efforts to increase the minimum purchase rate of sugarcane from Rs 180 to 190 per maunds during this year.

Protection of rights of farmers is the top priority of the current government and all efforts are being done to enhance profitability of this sector, said the Punjab Minister for Agriculture Malik Nauman Ahmed Langrial. He was presiding over an emergency meeting in which farmers' organisations took part and performance of the agricultural sector was reviewed.

The Minister said that the Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar consider farmers as capital. In past, the agriculture sector was ignored but now the protection of the rights of agriculture and farmers is at the top of the current Government.

Under the Prime Minister's Agricultural Emergency Program, 432,500 sacks of certified seeds of approved varieties of wheat are being sold to farmers on subsidized rates.

The meeting was attended by Rana Ali Arshad Additional Secretary Task Force Punjab, Dr Anjum Ali Director General Agriculture (Extension), Advisor Minister Punjab Agriculture Shahid Qadir, Rana Iftikhar Ahmed President Anjuman Farmers Punjab, Rao Tariq Ashraf, President Farmers' Alliance Lodhran, Mian Arshad , Sajid Ashraf Watto President Punjab Youth Farmer's Alliance, Muhammad Hussain Khokhar, Malik Zulfiqar Hussain Awan, Chaudhry Tabasam Bhallar and other farmer representatives.

Dr Anjum Ali Director General Agriculture (Ext & AR) briefed the participants that production of rice remained 4.27 million tonnes and maize 6 million tonnes, which is 0.37 million tonnes and 0.6 million tonnes more as compared to last year, respectively. For the first time for cotton crop 2018-19, the government provided approved seeds of subsidized varieties for up to 100,000 acres.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019