Sindh to provide Rs3bln subsidies to small farmers on fertilisers

KARACHI: Sindh government has announced Rs3 billion subsidies for small farmers in the province during FY21-22, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Muhammad Ismail Rahu said.

Addressing a press conference at Sindh Assembly building on Wednesday, the provincial minister said that the subsidy would be provided to peasants on fertiliser via a “Peoples Hari (peasant) Card”.

Sindh government would also establish 16 cold storages during that period with the support of growers. “The provincial government would provide 80 percent share of the cost while 20 percent expenses would be met by the growers,” the minister said.

Provincial government would also install water treatment plants in Thar to make the saline water extracted from coal mining useful for agriculture purposes.

Vowing to support farmers in the province, Rahu criticised the federal government for not prioritising agriculture in its budget. “Agriculture contributes 19 percent in GDP, while the federal government allocated only Rs12 billion; only one percent of the PSDP. Urea prices were increased at the highest level during this government,” he added.

Tractor prices increased by 80 percent and wheat prices increased 110 percent, while only one percent of Sindh’s growers were included in the agriculture credit of Zarai Taraqiati Bank.

Continuing to talk about the apathy at the centre, he said during locust attack, droughts and floods, federal government did not provide any support to the people. Sindh government’s 108 teams worked against the locust attack, while the federal government provided only eight teams.

He alleged that the federal government seemed anti-farmer because when Sindh had a bumper crop of tomatoes, the centre allowed import of tomato.

“Federal government claimed that cotton production reached 7.0 million bales in the country. However, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association and APTMA said the production reached only 5.6 million bales. Cotton production in Punjab was also below the target,” he added.

Pointing to the water issue, Rahu said the cotton crop in Sindh was affected due to water scarcity. Only 80 percent of the sowing target was achieved. “If cotton production target was not achieved, the country would have to import cotton worth $4 billion.”

Rice crop too was getting affected negatively due to the water crisis. “Sindh grows rice over an area of 2.0 million acres, but due to water scarcity only 8 percent of the area was cultivated in the province.” Similarly, 20 percent of sugarcane, sown over 310,000 acres, has dried due to water shortages while sugar worth Rs20 billion was imported.

He said the provincial government would provide tube-well schemes worth Rs500 million to the farmers. They would be provided machinery and solar tube-wells.

He asked the federal government “if wheat production in the country was higher by 2.0 million tonnes, why was the government importing 4.0 million tonnes.”