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LAHORE, Feb 24 (APP):Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani on Monday said that best policies were being devised to ensure agricultural development and prosperity of farmers.
Presiding over a meeting of the Agriculture Commission here, he said that in line with the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the transformation of the agricultural sector in the province was underway.
The minister said that one meeting of Agriculture Commission must be held on monthly basis. He also directed that different panels of chairs be appointed for the commission to prevent disruptions due to official engagements.
He directed the formation of task force committees under the Agriculture Commission for various crops.
Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani further directed the inclusion of the new Price Control Commodities Department in the commission so that their input could be considered regarding crop storage and price determination.
The private members of the commission were assigned the task of preparing actionable recommendations through a structured format so that these suggestions could be finalized in the upcoming budget for the next fiscal year. The Punjab Agriculture department had achieved the target of wheat cultivation on 16.25 million acres, ensuring food security in the province, he said and added that for the first time Punjab CM had introduced the “Grow More Wheat” package, which helped achieve the wheat cultivation target.
He further said that Punjab chief minister had personally assured farmers that wheat growers would not face any financial losses.
Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani also announced the establishment of the Punjab Seed Authority to ensure the provision of high-quality crop seeds to farmers.
He said, “For early cotton sowing, a target of 1 million acres has been set and farmers cultivating 5 acres or more will receive Rs 25,000 via the Chief Minister’s Kisan Card.” This pilot project was expected to help in the revival of cotton farming in the province.
Additionally, in consultation with agricultural experts, Agro-Ecological Zones were being established in Punjab, minister added.
He further said that priority-based initiatives were being taken under service providers for agricultural mechanization, adding that the first phase of the Green Tractor Scheme would be completed next month.
The Punjab government was also taking measures to enhance coordination between agricultural research institutes and universities, which would lead to improvements in agricultural research standards.
Additionally, in the interest of agriculture and farmers, a farmers’ bank would be established on the direction of Punjab Chief Minister.
Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that the Agriculture Commission had been reactivated after 8 years, which would help address agricultural challenges.