Punjab minister promises steps for farmers’ prosperity

Rs300m invested on projects to increase yield of crops

SAHIWAL: Punjab Agriculture Minister Malik Nauman Ahmed Langrial said on Thursday that the government is taking steps to improve the agriculture sector and bring prosperity to farmers.

Speaking at the inauguration of an agricultural reforms scheme, he said that under Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Agricultural Emergency Programme, Rs300 million has been invested on various projects to increase the  per acre yield of crops and improve water resources

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, Rai Hassan Nawaz, MPA Pir Ahmad Shah Khagga, Agriculture Secretary Muhammad Wasif Khursheed, Commissioner Muhammad Ahsan Waheed, Deputy Commissioner  Zeeshan Javed, Irrigation Director General Malik Mohammad Akram and others were present on the occasion.

Langrial said the projects of the national programme for agriculture improvement (Phase II) were of utmost importance and work on irrigation canals had been carried out rapidly to improve the available water resources throughout the province. The government has allocated Rs28.59 billion for the purpose.

Under the scheme, 520 irrigation channels have been rehabilitated in the district, subsidy provided for 450 laser land levellers and construction of 280 irrigation ponds has been initiated.

A total of Rs2.75 billion will be spent on improving the agriculture sector in Sahiwal.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2020.