Farmers’ woes : Channar says Kissan Package panacea for farmers

Minister addresses awareness seminar on Khadim-i-Punjab Kissan Package

BAHAWALPUR: “The Rs100 billion Kissan Package is an effective mechanism for economic relief that aims at providing subsidised inputs to farmers and to boost per acre yields,” Minister for Cooperatives Iqbal Channer said on Saturday.

He was addressing a public awareness seminar regarding Khadim-i-Punjab Kissan Package.

The seminar was held at Ghulam Muhammad Ghotvi Hall of Islamia University, Bahawalpur.

The minister said under the programme, famers would be provided soft loans to set up tube wells. He said they would also receive subsidised fertilisers under the programme.

“Pakistan’s economy relies greatly on the agriculture sector. More than 40 million people are engaged in this sector,” he said. “The federal government is also committed to addressing problems in this sector.

It has provided a Rs350 billion relief package for cotton and rice growers to mitigate their losses.”

The minister said the federal government had also earmarked Rs14 billion to supply subsidised electricity to tube-wells by lowering the tariff from Rs8.85 per unit to Rs5.35 per unit.

MPAs Qazi Adnan Farid, Fouzia Ayub Qureshi, Hasina Naaz, Agriculture EDO Chaudhry Tanveer Ahmad and officials of the Agriculture Department were also present.

The EDO spoke on various features of the Khadim-i-Punjab Kissan Package which, he said, included Rs3 billion for developing better seeds and Rs1 billion for establishing service centres for agricultural equipment.

The EDO said the Khadim-i-Punjab Kissan Package was a ‘focused intervention.’

“The government has allocated Rs39 billion for interest-free loans for landless peasants.

They will also be provided subsidised urea.”

He said the government aimed at raising farm productivity through these efforts.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31^st, 2016.