Budgetary allocation for agriculture enhanced by 1,200pc with no new tax: Minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan Thursday said the government has enhanced allocation for the development of agriculture sector by 1,200 percent and allocated an amount of Rs12.5 billion in Federal Budget 2019-20 as compared to Rs1 billion of last fiscal year.

Addressing a press conference flanked by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and President All Pakistan Kissan Ithad Board Khalid Khokhar, he said provincial allocations would also be enhanced to Rs50 billion during the financial year 2019-20.

Besides, he said in current budget no new tax or duty was imposed on any agriculture input as the government was determined to provide maximum relief to farmers for the uplift of agriculture and development of national economy.

The minister said all last regimes had badly neglected the agriculture sector, which was the backbone of the national economy and the major source of industrial raw material as well as absorbing a large number of skilled and semi-skilled workforce of the country due to their vested interests.

However, he said incumbent government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan had attached high priorities with the agriculture sector and increased its spending for the development of agriculture and livestock sectors on the modern lines and identified areas to make the sectors more profit-oriented.

Sahibzada Mehboob said the government was going to launch 13 new developmental projects in these sectors with collaboration of provincial governments to promote and develop the agriculture and livestock sectors for increasing per-acre crop out put to alleviate poverty form the rural areas of the county.

He said after the 18th constitutional amendment, the agriculture was provincial subject and it was the prime responsibility of these governments to take measures for the uplift of the sector.

He said out of the total allocation for these 13 projects, the federal government would provide Rs92.5 billion for enhancement of major crops productivity, livestock development, aquaculture, seeds, water lining and mechanization of farms.

The food security minister said the projects would be initiated by the start of next fiscal year as it had been approved by the government, which would mainly focus on crops yield enhancement, oil seed, pulses production and fattening of calves as well as fish farming.

He said special measures would also be introduced to harness the potential of international Halal meat market, adding in this regard ban was imposed on the export of live animals, besides memorandum of understanding was also signed with China to capture that market as it was importing meat worth $15 billion annually from across the world.

Mehboob Sultan said steps had also been taken to exploit the aquaculture potential existing in about 1,120 km long coastal line by promoting the fish caging culture as well as trout farming.

Water which was the major input for agriculture and about 90% of the total available water was used for agriculture production and out of the total quantum about 47% percent wasted due to inefficiencies in irrigation sector, he added.

He said these inefficiencies would be removed by farm mechanization, lining and water course management, adding small and medium dams would be constructed and the command areas under these dams would also be enhanced.

He said the government was also determined to ensure proper prices of all major crops and during the current regime, farmers of wheat, rice, sugarcane and cotton had received proper official fixed prices of their produces.

He said electricity charges for tube-wells which were enhanced from Rs5.35 per unit to Rs6.85 per unit and would also be reduced and General Sales Tax on other agriculture inputs would also be reduced by taking the provincial governments on board.

Speaking on the occasion, Khalid Khokhar lauded the initiatives of the government and thanked for taking the stakeholders on board while making the budget and urged for providing level playing field to local farmers to compete with the international competitors.