CM Punjab approves several agricultural projects

Lahore: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz approved several agricultural projects in a meeting held in Lahore.

In the meeting, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was told in the briefing that there is 30 to 37 percent tax and duty on high-tech agricultural machinery. The federal government will be contacted to remove the tax on rice straw shader machine, agricultural machinery will be installed at a cost of Rs2 billion in three months. Machinery will be given to farmers on subsidized rates. Farmers holding up to 25 acres of land will be provided with solar systems in two years.

It was informed in the meeting that due to manual sowing, 12% wheat production and 18% rice production decrease while Pakistan needs 29 million tons of wheat, out of which 26 million tons is produced in Punjab. 1.75 million tons of seeds are required annually, 50 billion seeds are imported into Pakistan annually.

During the meeting, Chief Minister Punjab ordered to pave all the skins in the next five years and also approved the pavement of 1200 water courses and solar tube well project in two years at a cost of 10 billion rupees.

In the meeting, it was decided to give 56 types of agricultural machinery to the farmers at 60% subsidy. Under this decision, 1000 laser levelers will be given to the farmers in the next six months.

The plan to increase seed production from 400 thousand tons to 600 thousand tons and the proposal to cultivate soybean seed on 100,000 acres with the support of Faisalabad Agricultural University were considered during the meeting.

On this occasion, Maryam Nawaz said that the federal government will be contacted to abolish the tax and duty on high-tech agricultural machinery.