Multan: Punjab Secretary Agriculture Shakeel Ahmad Mian Friday said the benefits of farmer-friendly initiatives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif were being delivered to farmers at their doorsteps, stressing that agricultural development and farmer prosperity remained key government priorities.
During a day-long visit to Multan, the secretary chaired a meeting to review the cotton crop situation, visited cotton fields and inspected the Model Agriculture Mall and Agriculture Mechanization Research Institute (AMRI), where he reviewed efforts to develop modern farm machinery through reverse engineering.
The meeting was briefed on the current status of the cotton crop, production prospects and measures being taken for its revival. Shakeel Mian directed officials to implement the approved cotton revival strategy in letter and spirit.
He said the government was committed to increasing agricultural productivity and improving farmers’ access to modern technologies and services.
At the Model Agriculture Mall, the secretary directed officials to introduce special packages for farmers and explore machinery rental services tailored to regional requirements. He also reviewed modern agricultural machinery and the performance of AMRI.
Shakeel Mian directed AMRI officials to accelerate efforts to develop modern machinery suited to local farming needs through reverse engineering. He said greater use of modern farm mechanization would make agricultural practices faster, more efficient and productive.
Senior officials of the Agriculture Department, including Additional Secretary Agriculture Task Force Muhammad Shabbir Ahmed Khan, Special Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Sarfraz Hussain Magsi, Vice Chancellor MNS University of Agriculture Multan Prof. Dr. Asif Ali and other officials, attended the meeting, while several officers participated through video link.
