Caretaker Provincial Minister For Industry, Trade And Energy SM Tanveer Chairs Agri Taskforce Meeting

Caretaker Provincial Minister for Industry, Trade and Energy SM Tanveer chaired the second meeting of taskforce on agriculture here at Civil Secretariat on Friday

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jun, 2023 ) :Caretaker Provincial Minister for Industry, Trade and Energy SM Tanveer chaired the second meeting of taskforce on agriculture here at Civil Secretariat on Friday.

Provincial Chief Secretary, Provincial Secretary Agriculture, Special Secretary (Agriculture), senior officials from Punjab Agriculture Department and agricultural experts attended the meeting.

Several programmes were approved in principle in the meeting to increase per-acre productivity. A soil health programme would be initiated to enhance land fertility, providing gypsum to farmers at subsidized rates. Farmers would also receive agricultural inputs at reduced prices. The water courses would be widened, and special attention would be given to the construction of small dams and the vast expanse of desolate Thal desert would be colonised to bring new areas under cultivation.

Similarly, green silos and cold chain development would be prioritised. The meeting further decided that special measures will be taken to boost the production of crops such as cotton, wheat, sugarcane, soybean, oilseeds, and pulses.

Provincial Minister SM Tanveer emphasised the vital role of the agricultural sector in the economy and stressed the need to increase investment in this sector.

The caretaker government was actively taking practical steps to promote agriculture, he said and added that formed a committee to finalise budget proposals related to agriculture. This committee would finalize proposals in the coming days.