‘Budget ignores growers’ issues’

Farmer representatives have expressed dismay over lack of funds allocation for agriculture sector, stating that the PTI government could not focus on solving burning issues of the growers.

All major crops face decline in the current financial year, inflicting huge losses to farmers but regrettably no measure has been announced by the government for financially supporting the growers, said Ch Muhammad Anwar, President Pakistan Kissan Ittehad. Low production of sugarcane, rice, wheat and cotton has deprived farmers of billions of rupees. Farooq Bajwa, convener Punjab Water Council, while commenting on budge said that prices of tractors would increase as government increase taxes on it. We are already facing low mechanization in the farming sector and step taken by the PTI government would further increase cost of production of the farmers, he said.

Ibrahim Mughal, Chairman Agri-Forum Pakistan, said the agriculture sector grew by merely 0.85 per cent in the outgoing financial year.