RAWALPINDI, Oct 27 (APP):Punjab Minister for Agriculture Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani on Monday chaired a meeting to review progress on the ongoing wheat sowing campaign in the Rawalpindi Division.
The meeting was attended by Member of the National Assembly Tahira Aurangzeb, Secretary Agriculture Punjab Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, and Commissioner Rawalpindi Aamir Khattak.
Addressing the participants, the minister said the Federal and Punjab governments had jointly approved the Wheat Policy 2025-26, under which wheat procurement for the next season would be made at Rs 3,500 per 40 kilograms.
He said the government had planned to procure 6.2 million metric tonnes of strategic wheat reserves to ensure food security in the country.
Kirmani noted that wheat had become a profitable crop for farmers in Pakistan under the current circumstances, as its prices were stabilising both internationally and domestically.
He said the wheat cultivation target for the ongoing season had been set at 16.5 million acres across Punjab, including 1.53 million acres for the Rawalpindi Division.
The minister said certified wheat seed was available in sufficient quantity in the markets at Rs 5,500 per bag, urging farmers to use it instead of home-preserved grain to ensure higher yields. He added that fertilisers were also being provided at prices lower than the notified rates.
MNA Tahira Aurangzeb, in her remarks, said wheat was a vital crop ensuring national food security, with Punjab contributing over 70 per cent of the country’s total output.
She said the Punjab Government’s efforts had created a conducive environment for enhancing wheat production.
Secretary Agriculture Sahoo said that an Agriculture Transformation Plan worth Rs 7 billion was being implemented in the Potohar region to boost agricultural development and strengthen the rural economy.
Commissioner Khattak said the divisional and district administrations were playing an active role in the wheat cultivation drive and utilising all available resources to achieve the assigned targets.
The meeting reaffirmed the commitment that all relevant departments would continue joint efforts to make the wheat cultivation campaign successful and address farmers’ concerns effectively.