Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Monday emphasized that providing short-term, medium-term, and long-term relief to farmers remains the government’s foremost priority to ensure agricultural sustainability and rural prosperity.
The minister was chairing the first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Agriculture and Climate/Flood Emergencies, which was constituted by the Prime Minister, with Ahsan Iqbal as its convener.
“Provincial governments, in partnership with the federal government, must take swift steps to ensure that affected farmers are compensated and supported for the upcoming Rabi season,” he stressed.
The minister particularly underlined the urgency of supplying canola seeds to farmers within the next 15 days, taking advantage of the soil moisture left behind by the floods.
“I have arranged a 5,000-acre canola seed pilot project in Narowal through corporate sponsorship, because we cannot afford to lose time. This is a moment for urgent action—we must not waste it,” he said.
Ahsan Iqbal further stated that the time has come to look beyond traditional crops and focus on diversifying towards high-value crops such as canola, which not only promises higher returns for farmers but also has greater demand in the market.
He also pointed out the importance of extending interest-free loan schemes for farmers through financial institutions and stressed the need to gradually move towards private insurance mechanisms to protect farmers from recurrent climate shocks.—APP
