Agri, livestock hit by fund shortages

Muhammad Azam Khan, the Caretaker Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Monday held a meeting at the Chief Minister House in Peshawar with the Agriculture and Livestock Departments.

During the meeting, the departments briefed the chief minister on their development projects, administrative affairs, achievements, and challenges.

The meeting revealed that the activities of these departments have been halted due to the freeze on development funds, which may potentially impact agricultural production. Recognizing the significance of the agriculture and livestock sectors for the stability of the economy, the chief minister pledged to address their issues on a priority basis.

The meeting was attended by the Caretaker Minister for Agriculture, Abdul Halim Kasuria, the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Amjad Ali Khan, the Secretary of Agriculture, Asrar Khan, the Secretary of Livestock, Mukhtiar Ahmed, and other officials. The chief minister instructed the heads of these departments to determine their main priorities for fund allocation in the current situation.

The chief minister emphasized the importance of utilizing modern research and technology in agriculture and livestock fields and directed the departments to facilitate farmers in availing the benefits of suchresearch.

He also instructed the authorities to focus on cooperation with private institutions for the construction of small dams, fisheries, and other activities in the province and to prepare proposals for the rehabilitation of the cooperative sector.