Maryam okays Sarsabz Punjab Khushhal Kashtkaar programme

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has taken a major step for the development of agriculture and welfare of farmers in the province.

She approved the Sarsabz Punjab Khushhal Kashtkaar (Green Punjab Prosperous Farmers) program while chairing a meeting on the development of agriculture sector in the province here on Thursday. She gave in-principle approval to start multiple schemes in this regard.

These schemes include pavement of watercourses, farm mechanization, focus on research & development to introduce best quality seeds and provision of solar tube-wells to farmers.

Under the Pavement of Water Courses Program, 1,200 water courses will initially be paved at a cost of Rs10 billion.

Earlier, the secretary agriculture gave a briefing on various projects for the uplift of agriculture sector. He presented a plan to increase seed production from 4 lakh tonnes to 6 lakh tonnes. The proposal to cultivate soybean seed on one lakh acres in collaboration with the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, was discussed.

The chief minister was briefed that there was 30-37 per cent tax and duty on the import of high-tech agricultural machinery. She assured approaching the federal government to get these taxes and duties waived off on the import of high-tech machinery.

The secretary agriculture also briefed the chief minister that Pakistan needed 29 million tonnes of wheat and Punjab produced 26 million tonnes. However, 12% wheat yield and 18% rice yield have decreased due to manual sowing.

The chief minister was apprised that in Pakistan, 1.75 million tonnes of seeds were required annually for the cultivation of various crops. However, due to unavailability of sufficient quality of seeds in the country, seeds worth Rs50 billion are imported annually.

Also, the chief minister directed to complete the SL-3 project at the earliest during her early morning visit to the Lahore Ring Road Southern Loop-3 Project.

Maryam also chaired a meeting to review Mines & Minerals Department projects in which it was decided to lodge a case with the NAB regarding illegal allotment of Pink Rock Salt. She stated that international investors would be invited to the auction process of mines.