Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema has said Rs663.9 billion in agricultural loans was disbursed in November 2022. In his remarks to the press, he explained that the agriculture loan is a part of the Rs1,819 billion Prime Minister Kissan Package to revitalise Pakistan's agriculture sector, particularly in the flood-affected districts.

He said that the package's 15 key components will help the country's agriculture industry recover and grow, therefore ensuring the country's food security. All 15 points have advanced significantly. The package was announced by the prime minister on October 31, 2022, and on November 17, the cabinet approved it.

According to Cheema, the prime minister is paying close attention and holds biweekly meetings to monitor the package's development. He noted that the government has declared that it will remove markup fees for farmers in flood-affected areas. He added that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that a 100% markup worth Rs10.62 billion will be wiped off.

According to a notification released in December 2022, the government, under the Farmers Package, has also set aside Rs8.2 billion for the supply of discounted agricultural inputs. This would aid in delivering inputs at controlled rates to increase per-acre crop yield, he continued.

According to Cheema, the Prime Minister Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme is being created for the first time in history to encourage young people to work in agriculture in order to maximise benefits for the young population. He said that in spite of the economic and budgetary crisis, the SBP has issued notifications for all the aforementioned programmes, and the markup and risk management programme has also reduced fertiliser costs.

DAP fertiliser costs decreased from Rs13,000 to Rs9,000 per bag, and enough quantity was also provided to local farmers. Additionally, Rs30 billion has been set aside for the subsidy on imported urea, which would be given in a transparent way in cooperation with the province governments, he added.

A total of Rs4.787 billion from the package was also distributed, 75% of which went to small and medium-sized agricultural businesses, he said. The central bank has sent a circular to commercial banks instructing them to distribute Rs5 billion to all qualifying farmers, and the government has also launched an interest-free credit programme for landless farmers, he said.

According to the minister, the value of the Programme Implementation Unit was increased from Rs4,000 to Rs10,000 as a result of specific instructions from the prime minister. The Finance Division has already said that both large- and small-scale producers will benefit from it.

According to him, a summary was also moved to permit the import of three-year-old tractors in order to assist local farmers and start mechanised agriculture in the country. Additionally, he said, the ministry is in talks with private banks to arrange funding for the import of secondhand tractors.

The minister said that the government has lowered the price of power for farmers and is developing a plan to supply inexpensive electricity to agricultural tube wells with the goal of converting electric tube wells to solar energy. As a result, input costs will go down and competitive agricultural commodities will be produced, he added.

Since crop planting has already exceeded 91% of the benchmarks established for the 2022–23 season, Cheema stated that hard work and government initiatives will result in a bumper wheat yield for the current season. Compared to the goal of 22.85 million acres, 21 million acres have been planted in grains. In response to a query, the minister stated that agriculture is now a provincial matter and that it is the responsibility of the federal government to provide policy guidelines.

He added that the federal government is committed to giving the provinces all the assistance it can. While the provinces of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan set the wheat support price at Rs3,000 per 40 kg, Sindh intends to set it at Rs4,000, and the Sindh chief minister has been asked to review it in order to fix a uniform price to deter market manipulation and protect all stakeholders.

Regarding the import of soybean seeds containing genetically modified organisms, the minister stated that maize, which is abundantly available, makes up approximately 75% of chicken feed. Three shipments are in the port; two have been unloaded, and one is undergoing inspection. If the test is positive, he added, the off-loaded cargo would be returned.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk