LAHORE: In a major shift, Punjab Agriculture Policy 2018 targets small commercial farmers to mobilise maximum capacity of the sector and reduce poverty in the rural areas, virtually excluding small landholders of three acres from its support mechanism.
Earlier, the provincial government support was given to farmers with less than 15 acres of landholding. After the new policy gets implemented, the farmers owning up to three acres of land would not be given incentives or subsidy.
Punjab Agriculture Policy 2018 particularly targets small commercial farmers, rural women, and youth of the province to ensure livelihood improvements at the grassroots.
According to the policy document unveiled on Wednesday, so far the government support has been given to farmers with less than 15 acres of landholding. However, according to an expert analysis, encouraging small commercial farmers (SCFs) with landholding between three to 75 acres would have far reaching benefits, including increase in farm incomes and farm productivity. As a result, it would lead to multiplier effects and stimulate rural non-farm economy as well. The increase in economic activity at SCFs would increase earning opportunities and reduce poverty for rural communities including the landless farmers, rural women, and rural youth. Farmers with landholding up to three acres operate below level of sustenance, and would benefit more from social protection initiatives.
Focus would be on creating opportunities for rural women as well as policy initiative. Moreover, the rural youth would also be targeted to make them productive, as Pakistan currently has the largest population of young people ever recorded in its history. The youth bulge has become a burden instead of strength due to lack of proper employment opportunities, therefore rural youth of Punjab would be a key beneficiary of policy actions.
Punjab Agriculture Department, with assistance from USAID, Punjab Enabling Environment Project (PEEP), developed the Punjab Agriculture Policy 2018. The evidence-based policy would focus on enhancing agriculture productivity and ensuring food security.
This policy shifts the government of Punjab’s role from market actor to market enabler. It increasingly puts the private sector in the driving seat where it has the potential to be a real game changer. The policy also promotes climate smart agriculture practices and technologies.
The policy highlights include, measures for inclusive and sustained growths, efficient and transparent subsidies, focus on small farmers, rural women and youth, easy credit for farmers, private sector-led growth, strong agriculture research and innovation, improved competitiveness in the agriculture market, improved farmers’ access to information and advisory, horticulture, oilseeds, pulses and grams to improve crop mix, investment in agriculture technologies, value-addition and exports.
The policy also focuses on crop insurance as safety net for subsistence farmers, climate smart agriculture to preserve and regenerate natural resources, training and skills development, ICT-enabled service delivery, institution capacity development and increasing yields and profits for farmers. Punjab Agriculture Minister Malik Nauman Langrial said government would give special incentives for increasing farm yield and income of farmers.
Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht said government would ensure subsidies on farm inputs for the farmers with aim to increase production of key crops.
Agriculture Punjab Secretary Dr Wasif Khurshid said all stakeholders were consulted before finalisation of the policy. Provincial Irrigation Minister Mohsin Legharai and Provincial Minister for Management and Professional Development Hussain Jehanian Grdezi also spoke on the occasion.