Caretaker Provincial Minister for Industry and Commerce SM Tanveer chaired the third session of the task force for agriculture here at Civil Secretariat.
The meeting approved various recommendations aimed at promoting modern agriculture, increasing per-acre yield, and enhancing land productivity. According to the programme, approved certified seeds will be promoted to boost wheat and cotton production. The Punjab Soil Fertility Revival Programme will be initiated to improve land fertility. Small farmers will be provided 60 kg sacks at a 50 percent subsidy per acre. The meeting also approved a plan to bring 50,000 acres of barren land under cultivation.
Pilot projects will be initiated in Mankera, Choubara, and Norpur Thal for land reclamation. Soil and water testing laboratories will be established at the tehsil level in Punjab, while a state-of-the-art research center will be built in Faisalabad in collaboration with China. During the meeting, a recommendation was considered to provide small-scale farmers with public-private partnership opportunities for warehousing, cold storage and processing facilities. Under this programme, five new small dams will be constructed in Pothohar. Caretaker Provincial Minister SM Tanveer stated that by implementing effective practical measures, an agricultural revolution could be achieved in the province.
He emphasized that promoting corporate farming could yield better results. The minister highlighted that cotton and wheat were crucial crops for the country, and comprehensive measures were being taken to enhance their production. Secretary Agriculture, Special Secretary (Agriculture), officials from the agriculture & irrigation departments, and agricultural experts attended the meeting.
