Agriculture reforms to begin with easy loans to farmers: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday said agricultural reforms would commence in the country with provision of easy loans to farmers, for which a public-private partnership model would be adopted.

He directed the authorities to formulate a comprehensive strategy for sustainable agricultural reforms in collaboration with provinces, to significantly increase production and reduce production costs.

While chairing a review meeting on development of the agriculture sector, he ordered for urgent reforms in the Zarai Taraqiati Bank for transparent provision of easy loans to farmers.

The PM said that agricultural development would primarily benefit farmers and rural areas and also emphasised collaboration among experts to develop the sector on modern lines. He ordered to utilise agricultural zoning and value chain strategies to boost agricultural exports and introducing agricultural technology tailored to the needs of small landholdings, besides using integrated digital platforms to provide farmers with access to new agricultural information.

Separately, PM Shehbaz Sharif also held meetings with key political and cabinet figures, focusing on constituency affairs, national political landscape, and performance of the power sector. In one round of discussions, Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Muhammad Idrees and Sardar Ghulam Abbas called on the PM, a news release said. The meetings were also attended by Federal Minister for Public Affairs Rana Mubashir Iqbal and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Talha Burki. In another meeting, Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmad Leghari briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on matters pertaining to the Power Division. The session focused on ongoing developments and policy issues in the energy sector.