‘Agriculture sector development top priority’

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Food Security Jamshaid Iqbal Cheema on Saturday said agriculture sector development and prosperity of the farming community was top priority of the government and there were no deficiency of any food commodity in the country.

“The government is introducing Kissan Card in order to bring more efficiency and transparency in farmer friendly policies,” he said, and added that due to these policies and subsidy scheme, the prices of different fertilisers remained stable.

“Farmers received Rs2,708 billion for their produces, which was higher by Rs680 billion as against the receiving of financial year 2018,” he said.

The special assistant said during the tenure of the incumbent government, farmers get Rs1,100 billion additional income from five major crops and milk production.

In the current season, growers expected to receive Rs500 billion more as compared to last season, since wheat output was likely to reach a historic high of 28 million tons. He attributed the progress in agriculture sector to the pro-farmer policies of the current government. “Government had fixed minimum support price of wheat at Rs1,800 per 40kg, which was equal to international markets rate and would encourage local grain production.”

Responding to Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Butto Zardari, who slammed the federal government over the devastation of the agriculture sector, and the fact that an agrarian country had to import cotton, sugar and wheat, Cheema said the statement was baseless, against facts, and negative propaganda against the government. Agriculture Department of Sindh was receiving Rs150/bag issued during the current procurement drive, which, Chema said would go to the pockets of the corrupt agents appointed by the provincial government.

He also reminded that farmers had not protested during the incumbent government; however, they had burned their produce including cotton and sugarcane during the governments of Pakistan Muslim League and PPP. There were also protests by sugarcane farmers against millers during the tenure of both PPP, and PML-N due to outstanding payments.