Agriculture reforms: PM directs ministries to come up with a plan in 2 days

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sought an agriculture reforms plan from the concerned ministries within two days for the upcoming crops.

While chairing a meeting on the agricultural sector reforms on Thursday, the premier directed the relevant ministries to come up with an agricultural reform plan within two days.

The meeting was informed that Shehbaz would soon announce a comprehensive plan for agricultural reforms in the country, which will not only make the farmers prosperous but also increase the country’s agricultural production and reduce the import of agricultural products substantially.

Earlier, eight sub-committees formed on wheat, cotton, edible oil, fertilizers, agricultural research, water use in agriculture, climate change and agricultural machinery gave a briefing to the prime minister and submitted their recommendations for short-, medium- and long-term planning.

The meeting discussed measures for future wheat, cotton, and edible oil production and proposals were submitted with regard to the provision of modern machinery at low cost to the farmers, subsidy on urea and the DAP, expected production and import, quality seeds besides better usage of water and provision of timely loans.

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The premier stated that the government will provide necessary facilities to the farmers on a priority basis, would ensure a timely supply of quality seeds and fertilizers to the farmers at low cost and action would be taken against the companies selling substandard seeds and pesticides to farmers.

He added that facilities would be provided to agricultural research institutes for quality seed production at the local level.

The premier wanted that a comprehensive awareness campaign should be launched to create awareness among the farmers about modern methods of agriculture practiced at international level.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Miftah Ismail, Special Assistants Ahad Cheema, Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan, and concerned high officials while agriculture secretaries of all the provinces participated in the meeting through video link.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022