Islamabad
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema on Friday said that government would provide high yielding certified wheat seed verities to one million farmers during current Rabi season in order to achieve 30 million tons of wheat.
Addressing a press conference he said that besides provision of subsidized seeds, the government would also provide Rs 20 billion subsidy on phosphatic fertilizers to enhance per-acre crop output for ensuring surplus production and to tackle with the growing demand of grains.
He said that it was prerequisite to enhance output of local grains, particularly the production of staple food grains to avoid the inflationary pressures of international commodity markets, besides maintaining their prices in local markets at affordable position.
The output of local grains witnessed about 18% growth during first three years of incumbent government, which stood at 1.5% in PPP’s tenure and 11% during the government of PML-N, he remarked.
He said that record sugarcane output was achieved during the season, adding that sugar output was likely to reach 9 million tons as against the local requirements of 6.5 million tons, adding that like the strategic reserves of wheat, reserves of sugar would also be maintained for 120 days in order to maintain local commodity price.
In order to achieve higher yields of different crops, the government was ensuring proper rate of returns for farmers and encouraging them financially, legally and morally, adding that it was providing subsidy on 12 agriculture inputs as compared to only two of the last governments.
A complaint cell was also established under Prime Minister Office in order to address the issues and problems faced by the local farming community, he said adding that over 122 officers were deputed to resolve the problems of farmers in an appropriate manner.
The SAPM said that the farmers having land less than 12 acres were also provided interest free loan facility under Kamyab Pakistan Program upto Rs 350,000 for purchase of inputs and machinery, adding that the farmers would be provided Rs 500,000 interest free loans for livestock farming.
He said that government had also introduced crop insurance scheme and in the first phase it would be initiated in four districts as pilot project and services of highly experienced foreign companies were hired in order to protect the local farmers from any possible crop loss.—APP
