LAHORE:Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) Vice President Ahmad Jawad said on Sunday that Pakistan’s agriculture sector plays a central role in the economy absorbing 42.3 percent of the labour force and Punjab played a vital role in it.
Talking to the media, he said, “We can attain food security by eliminating hunger and malnutrition through agriculture growth and diversification. It will also enable us to build a vibrant farmer community through mobilization of maximum capacity of Provincial Agriculture Department and achievement of sustainable development goals.
In this regard Ahmad Jawad suggested the following measures for effective and speedy agricultural development in Punjab:
1. Green tractors scheme should be revived through Bank of Punjab (BoP) with major focus on covering the crop area.
2. Subsidy on agriculture credit to the farmers of Punjab should be given through BoP (in which Punjab government absorbs certain share of the KIBOR).
3. The provincial government should introduce one-window facility at tehsil level by involving Revenue Department, NADRA and Agriculture Department to facilitate farmers regarding crops, land record and
others, and there should be no extra charges at this facility.
4. The relevant provincial staff/inspectors should be tasked to inspect pesticides manufacturing factories to check the quality.
5. Under fertilizer subsidy scheme of Punjab government, only 20 bags are sanctioned to each registered farmer for DAP/Potash per year. The PBF demands that this subsidy should be doubled i.e. 40 bags per year to each registered farmer and with Rs 2,000 subsidy on each bag in the view of higher prices of fertilizers.
6. Agriculture Department officials must inspect all new variety of seeds at tehsil level before allowing
its sale at large scale through dealer shops.
7. Punjab government should also check illegal hoarding of fertilizers regularly and strict legal action
must be taken against those found involved in this regard.
8. Khadem-e-Punjab Dehi Roads Programme at tehsil level should be restarted.
9. The PBF also suggests development of modern Mandi’s with packaging, grading and storagefacilities under PPP (Public-Private Partnership) mode.
Ahmad Jawad hoped that Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz would give due considerationto PBF proposals aimed at enhancing agriculture yields and encouraging the farmers community.