Punjab CM announces major steps to boost agriculture

(Web Desk): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has made another significant decision to improve and develop agriculture in the province.

In the future, consultations with farmers will be held to enhance all sectors of agriculture, and the Chief Minister of Punjab has issued instructions in this regard.

This was stated by the Punjab Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, while presiding over the second meeting of the Agriculture Commission held today at the Agriculture House in Lahore. The meeting was attended by Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Usama Khan Laghari, Secretary of Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Saho, and Secretary of Livestock Punjab Saqib Ali Attail, along with commission members Rana Saleem, Rana Ejaz Ahmad Noon, Khalid Mehmood Khokhar, and senior officials from the Food Security Commissioner’s office, Agriculture Department, and other departments, as well as progressive farmers.

During the meeting, Punjab Minister for Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that, in line with the vision of the Chief Minister of Punjab, the agricultural sector in the province is undergoing a transformation. He emphasized that better policies are being formulated for the prosperity of farmers and the development of agriculture.

He further stated that the Agriculture Commission should hold a mandatory meeting on a monthly basis. To ensure that there are no delays due to the official commitments of the members, he instructed the formation of various panels of chairs for the Commission. The Minister also directed the formation of task force committees under the Agriculture Commission for various crops. He issued instructions for the inclusion of the department of price control commodities in the Commission, so their opinions on crop storage and price determination could also be considered.

The Provincial Minister tasked the private members of the Commission with compiling actionable suggestions on a format, to be included in the final budget for the upcoming fiscal year. He said that this year, the Agriculture Department of Punjab has achieved the target of cultivating wheat on 16.25 million acres, which will help ensure food security in the province.

The Provincial Minister also stated that, for the first time, the Chief Minister of Punjab introduced a high-wheat cultivation package, which helped achieve the wheat cultivation target. The Chief Minister personally assured farmers that they would not incur any losses. To facilitate the provision of high-quality seeds to farmers, the Punjab Seed Authority is being established. This year, a target of cultivating cotton on 1 million acres has been set, and farmers cultivating 5 acres or more will receive a subsidy of 25,000 rupees through the Chief Minister’s Kisan Card. This pilot project will support the restoration of cotton in the province.

Additionally, in consultation with agricultural experts, the establishment of Agro-Ecological Zones is underway in the province. Through the Chief Minister’s Kisan Card, 600,000 farmers have already received interest-free agricultural loans totaling Rs40 billion.

Furthermore, priority actions are being taken to support agricultural mechanization under service providers. The first phase of the Green Tractor Program will be completed next month. For technical guidance to farmers, young agricultural graduates have been serving in the field for the past six months.

The Punjab government is also working to improve coordination between agricultural research institutions and universities, which will enhance the quality of agricultural research. In addition, under the guidance of the Chief Minister of Punjab, a bank for farmers will also be established for their welfare.

At this occasion, Secretary of Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Saho stated that the Agriculture Commission has been reactivated after eight years and will prove helpful in addressing agricultural challenges. Efforts are being made to take agriculture from traditional methods to innovation.