Endeavoring at promoting agriculture sector in the country the Government has reduced the rate on bank credit provided to agriculture sector to further improve farmers’ access to bank credit, and also trimmed down the duties on the two most-used fertilizers of urea and diammonium phosphate
According to an official source, the government has started various programs such as Punjab Skills Development Fund for Improving and updating farming practices through better extension support and provision of direct training to farmers.
The source revealed that with 18.8% share in GDP of Pakistan the high performing agriculture sector is the center piece of government growth and poverty alleviation strategy and the incumbent government is taking measure to revitalize the sector.
The source also informed that the Prime Minister’s task force on agriculture has made sound recommendations on improving productivity of agriculture sector, based on which the government would formulate a comprehensive agriculture policy, which can help transform the sector in foreseeable future.
The incumbent government also focuses to increase yields of all major crops including wheat, rice and cotton because over the last decade, performance of Pakistan’s agriculture sector has been disappointing, primarily due to low yields of all major crops.
Over the last fifteen years, the total cropped area of the five traditional crops has remained unchanged because farmers were getting discouraged due to the non profitability of their products.
The policies of this government aimed at facilitating the farmers through providing them excess to latest technologies, proper trainings and research.
Ministry of National Food Security and Research has also developed concrete intervention to increase crop yield, productivity and profitability in wheat, rice, sugarcane and oilseed.
The key interventions identified for enhancing productivity and increasing profitability are to promote mechanization’s through 50% subsidy, development of high yielding Hybrid varieties and improve provision of certified/tested seed, set up new and upgrade existing modern research institute by engaging international experts, re-organize extension services at all level, agronomy, plant protection, marketing and up-gradation of crop processing methods.
Total cost of above initiatives (Federal share) is Rs. 4.00 Billion, over a period of 3-5 years.
