Agriculture extension: Balloting for subsidy on farm tools completed

Govt will provide 50 per cent subsidy on a set of tools

BAHAWALPUR: Cooperatives Minister Iqbal Channar said on Friday that the provincial government was committed to promoting mechanisation of agriculture. He said it had allocated billions of rupees to provide various agricultural implements to farmers on a 50 percent subsidy.

He was speaking at a balloting ceremony held to shortlist farmers for provision of the subsidy on disk plough, laser levelers, rabbi drill and chisel plough.

The ceremony marked the end of the first phase of the balloting process in 17 union councils of Bahawalpur tehsil.

Channar said Rs17.2 million would be spent on provision of subsidy on sets of these tools for selected farmers in Bahawalpur’s 78 union councils. He said the market price for a set of the equipment provided under the scheme was around Rs480,000. The government was providing it to selected farmers at half the market price, he said.

The ministers said the country’s food security was tied to promotion of mechanised agriculture. He said this would help increase per acre yield of major crops in the province.

Channar said some of the subsidies being provided to the farmers were on green tractors, fertilisers and pesticides and on the electricity tariff of agricultural tube wells.

He said the federal government had already provided a subsidy package costing billions of rupees to cotton and rice growers of the provicne.

Channar said use of modern tools and gadgets would enhance crops yields and bring prosperity to rural areas of the province.

The ceremony was attended by MPA Mian Shoaib Awaisi, Union Council chairmen Maqbool Joiya and Bilal Baloch, Agriculture EDO Chaudhry Tanveer Ahmad and Assistant Commissioner Rao Tasleem Akhter.

MULTAN

Balloting for the scheme also took place in selected union councils of Multan, Vehari, Khanewal, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Layyah districts. One farmer each would be selected from these UCs for provision of agricultural implements on subsidised rates.

PML-N MPA Haji Ehsanuddin Qureshi told the media at the balloting ceremony that 64 UCs of Multan would be covered under the scheme.

He said those getting implements on subsidised rates would be required to offer them to others on a nominal rent.

Agriculture DO Chaudhry Naseer said hollow cone nozzles were also being distributed among farmers under the scheme. He said 418 villages in Multan would be covered under the scheme. Three farmers would be selected per village for provision of the nozzles, he said.

Agricultural implements would be provided to farmers in 2,486 farmers under this two-year project. The government would spend Rs1.16 billion to subsidise these implements.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2016.