Punjab to implement agriculture policy soon: minister

LAHORE: Minister for Agriculture Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial has said the government is going to implement first-ever agriculture policy in the province soon.

He was addressing a press conference along with Minister for Information & Culture Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chohan and Chairman Taskforce for Pesticides and Fertilizers Malik Masood at Agriculture House here on Wednesday about the government’s initiatives for agriculture sector to boost the growth.

High officials of the department and media representatives also attended this press conference. During media briefing session, the minister said: “Policy draft has already been prepared on October 24, 2018 and approved by the cabinet which mainly aims to reform agriculture sector and industry to enhance their role in national economy. Punjab chief minister will launch this policy on February 20. Present government has allocated almost Rs36 billion during 2018-19 for agriculture growth. The government has increased the limit of Rabi interest free loans from Rs 25,000 to 30,000 and distributed interest free loans among 101,228 registered farmers worth of Rs5 billion during Rabi 2018-19.”

The minister said that the government has also started Crop Insurance (Takkaful) for appeasement of farming community in 9 districts and till now 30 thousand farmers have been insured against rice, cotton and wheat crops. The government has to import worth of Rs 350 billion edible oil. So, the government has started campaign to increase oilseed crop area and production. A subsidy of Rs 5,000 per acre is going to provide sunflower cultivation and in future Canola and Sesamum will also be added in this subsidy scheme so that import bills of edible oil can be lessen in future, the minister said and added the government has decided to provide subsidy on DAP fertilisers at Rs 500 per bag, Nitrophos Rs 200 per bag and subsidy on Potash fertilizers Sulphate of Potash (SOP) & Murat of Potash (MOP) at Rs800 and Rs500 respectively per bag.

“The government will also provide subsidy of Rs.1000 per bag on cotton seed to registered farmers in District Multan, Vehari, Khanewal, Rahim Yar Khan, DG Khan and Rajan Pur for an area of 1,00,000 acres and hopefully Federal Government will also provide same subsidy for more 1 hundred thousand acres. Government is also revamping agriculture marketing system under Punjab Agriculture Marketing Regulatory Act (PAMRA) for betterment of farming community and to minimise role of middle man. The government is also establishing model mandi with worth of Rs 5 billion at Lakkho Derra. The government paid special heed towards recovery of sugarcane farmer’s pending liabilities to sugar mills. The government appointed nine Advisers to CM for resolving matter of sugarcane and now this year sugarcane is expected to produce 46 million metric tons. The government has swiftly handing this issue and all sugar mills are being operational during crushing season and there’s no hue and cry of farming community over this issue, the minister said and briefed about water saving schemes and that this year 2,100 watercourses will be improved and drip and sprinkler irrigation system will be installed on 12,000 acres.

In pother region, 160 ponds are being made for saving water and 360 schemes are being operated in non canal areas. Minister for Information & Culture Fayyaz-ul-Hussan Chohan has said: “Our government aims to make agriculture sector a vibrant and profitable sector.

We are fully aware that without boosting this sector, Pakistan cannot make a progressive state. Under special directives of the CM Agriculture Department is completing important projects and hopefully we will make a better future than our past”.