PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE: The provincial government is focusing on the uplift of small farmers in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, emphasised Punjab Agriculture Minister Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial.
Addressing a launching ceremony of a report on ‘Creating Wealth in Smallholder Farmers Through Efficient Credit System in Pakistan’, on Monday, he said, “The Agriculture Department is facilitating the farming community through the use of mobile-wallets.”
The event was organised by the Punjab government in collaboration with Australian Center for International Agriculture Research at a local hotel.
Langrial remarked, “Small farmers comprise of a major portion of farming community in Punjab and they had previously been provided little access to formal affordable finances.”
The credit available to these farmers, mainly from informal sources, used to be extremely costly, which escalated their cost of production.
“We have a total of 55,000 active mobile-wallet accounts,” the minister claimed, adding, “The incumbent government allocated a Rs93-billion budget solely for the agriculture sector compared with Rs81.3 billion in the previous financial year.”
The agriculture minister added that the government had allocated Rs15 billion for extending interest-free loans. Other speakers also stressed the need for finding ways for small landholders regarding the availability of credit.
The report to increase the income of small farmers through effective credit system was formally launched. It provides recommendations based on effective policies to make loans accessible to the owners of small agricultural farms.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 23rd, 2018.
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