Better access to information sought for farmers

Agriculture Secretary said farmers would be granted Rs25,000 loans for Rabi season and Rs 40,000 in Kharif season

FAISALABAD: Agriculture Secretary Muhammad Mahmood urged agriculture experts on Saturday to come with durable solutions to problems of the farming community and help improve productivity.

He was chairing a meeting of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan was also present.  The secretary said efficiency of the irrigation system was not improving.

“We need input from experts on why this is so and what can be done to turn things around,” he said.

He said the government was launching a scheme for interest-free loans for farmers’ community.

He said farmers would be granted Rs25,000 loans for Rabi season and Rs 40,000 in Kharif season.

“We will link this loan to per acre production,” he said.

He said access to information was vital.

“Farmers must be informed about the weather and market conditions. They also require information about seed quality. We must improve access to information to help the average farmer to catch up with the productivity levels of progressive farmers.”

He said the government had lowered prices of farm inputs by 17 per cent and waived General Sales Tax on pesticides.

He said the government was establishing an agriculture machinery service centre. He said the UAF had been asked to make a business plan for it.

The secretary said it was important to invest in technologies to fight climate change.

“Climate change will directly affect farmers and food production,” he said. He said a system to recharge groundwater should be devised.

He said cotton productivity had deteriorated.

“Rain water remains in the fields and there is no mechanism to drain it,” he said.

He said that the government was working on drip irrigation on 20,000 acres in the province in which farmers would pay 20 per cent of the cost. He said it would be run on solar energy.

He stressed upon the need to devise a strategy to fight the mealybug and other diseases to improve productivity.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2016.