PTI Govt Working To Promote Agriculture With 7-time More Allocations In Next Budget: Jamshed

The PTI government has enhanced agricultural budget for next financial year (2021-22) by 7 times as compared to current fiscal year said Special Assistant to PM on National Food Security and Research, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema on Friday

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jun, 2021 ) :The PTI government has enhanced agricultural budget for next financial year (2021-22) by 7 times as compared to current fiscal year said Special Assistant to PM on National Food Security and Research, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema on Friday.

Addressing members of Pakistan Crop Protection Association, he said that cotton target had been set at 9 million bales and expressed the optimism that it would be achieved due to the government policies.

Cheema said he apprised the Prime Minister about PCPA's suggestions, and added positive proposals would be duly considered to promote the agri sector.

He pointed out that previous governments did not give full attention to farmers which adversely affected the agriculture sector and now Prime Minister, Imran Khan had formal interaction with farmers, university professors and researchers to sort out their issues.

He said only the prices of wheat and sugarcane had been fixed, leaving the prices of all other crops, open.

Previously Rs 90 billion were siphoned off from farmers by paying lower price of sugarcane, he added.

He said Government will set up 900 stores across the country where farmers would be able to stock their crops and they will be given interest-free loans on five-acre of land.

He said the government was focusing to promote Sugar, Textiles, Pesticide, Flour Mills and Rice Mills.

He said the PTI government had allocated huge funds of Rs 680 billion for subsidy unlike the ZAB government which had nationalized entire industrial units in one.go. The first priority of the present government was farmers and the second was promotion of pollution-free industrialization, In this regards, the government has allocated Rs 10 billion in the upcoming financial year, he added.

He said machinery workshops were being set up and arrangements were being made for food processing besides giving 60 tons of soybean seeds to farmers in low-temperature areas.

Similarly, he said that solar, hydraulic and environment friendly energy plants would be set up in the country.

He said that the government has planted 4.1 million olive trees in hilly areas at a cost Rs 8 billion.

He said that Dera Ismail Khan will be promoted as a major market for pulses, and research centers were being set up in FATA.

He said the government would set up fish farms along the coastal areas to increase production.