Expenditure on critical sector will go up 34% in upcoming fiscal year
PHOTO: INP
“Current revenue expenditure on agriculture has been increased by 34% to Rs10.36 billion for the next fiscal year against Rs7.7 billion in CFY (current fiscal year),” Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced while presenting the FY19 budget in the provincial assembly on Thursday.
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Shah pointed out that the provincial agriculture department was engaged in promoting mechanised farming for which subsidy was being provided on the purchase of tractors and agriculture implements including tillage, seedbed preparation, planting, inter-culture, fertiliser and chemical application equipment and machinery for reducing post-harvest losses. “In the next fiscal year, a subsidy assistance of Rs9.650 billion will be provided to the farmers on tractors, agriculture implements, solar pumps, tube wells, etc,” he said.
“Provision of solar water pumps and tube wells at subsidised rates to the farmers will continue under the ongoing scheme of Rs113 million.”
The provincial government has set aside Rs508.8 million in subsidy to help the farmers preserve and store fruits and vegetables through hot water treatment and controlled atmosphere.
Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the country’s economy and contributes 24% to the annual gross domestic product (GDP) - the size of national economy.
“Sindh’s contribution to the national production is 36% in rice, 29% in sugarcane, 34% in cotton and 15% in wheat,” boasted the chief minister, who also holds the finance minister portfolio.
Among horticulture crops, Sindh produces 73% of banana, 34% of mangoes and 88% of chillies grown in the country.
Under the Annual Development Programme 2018-19, the provincial government has earmarked Rs5 billion for ongoing agriculture development projects.
However, it did not announce any new development project for the sector as the administration was going to complete its five-year tenure in less than a month and left it to the next government to come up with new schemes.
Apart from these, the government has allocated Rs5.94 billion for foreign-funded projects in the agriculture sector.
The World Bank, through two development projects, has provided financial assistance to the growers for increasing productivity in Sindh.
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“The Sindh Agriculture Growth Project is for improving productivity, market access in important commodity value chains (onion, chilli, dates and rice). Another project is for improvement of water courses, mitigation of flood risks, introducing high-efficiency irrigation systems and improved agricultural practices,” the chief minister elaborated.
The Sindh Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Programme got an allocation of Rs1.08 billion as part of ongoing schemes.
The provincial government earmarked Rs2.54 billion for additional lining of already improved water courses in Sindh which included government’s share of Rs1.62 billion and revised farmers’ share of Rs911.05 million.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2018.
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