Cotton seeds, fertilisers, whitefly pesticides: Farmers to get subsidy through provincial govts: minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam on Friday said that the government will provide subsidy on cotton seeds, fertilisers and whitefly pesticides and it will be distributed among the farmers through the provincial governments.

Talking to reporters, Imam said that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved the subsidy and it will be distributed directly to the farmers through the provinces.

He said that cotton, which is one of the most important crops, was severely affected this year.

The government has taken three major steps for betterment of cotton crop including provision of subsidy on cotton crop, cotton seeds, fertiliser and whitefly pesticides.

The government is making efforts to ensure proper use of technology, agricultural research, and eliminate role of middlemen in the agriculture sector, he said.

To a question regarding substandard seeds, he said that an effective crackdown has been launched against fake seed companies which were producing low quality and counterfeit seeds.

It has been decided that only 200 seed companies should be registered which practically were doing business. He said that aiming to create awareness among farmers, a web portal will be set up to provide accurate information to the farmers about agricultural research, so that the farmers can know that in time which spray should be applied or which disease has occurred in which area. In the past, the agriculture sector which is the backbone of the economy has been neglected, he said, adding that the agriculture sector was one of the priorities of the present government.

The minister said that Plant Breeder Bill and Seed Bill had been delayed for the last 20 years, no rules had been made for five years, and for the first time, the present government has passed these bills.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021