LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Agriculture Dr Farrukh Javed, while talking to media, has said that the provincial government will try its best to ensure the protection of farmer’s rights in wheat harvesting and procurement campaign.
He said that wheat will be procured from small farmers first and they will get due return of their hard work. He directed the officers and staff of the Agriculture Department to personally visit wheat procurement centres and help in providing relief to the farmers. He said that no negligence in this regard will be tolerated. He asked the staff to immediately contact ministry of agriculture and food in case of any problem and discrepancy. He asked the administration to minimize the role of middleman in wheat procurement campaign.
Dr Farrukh Javed said that due to the blessings of Almighty Allah and hard work of farmers, there is a bumper wheat crop during the current year. He said that Chief Minister Punjab has announced to provide 10,000 tractors on concessional rates to small farmers, which is a remarkable step. He said that Punjab government will give a subsidy of Rs0.2 million per tractor to small farmers and this farmer-friendly program will be launched from the next financial year. He said that the subsidised tractors will be given to those small farmers having up to 12.5 acre of land.
He said that there was a bumper wheat crop in Pakistan this year and Punjab government has fixed wheat procurement target of 4 million ton and its price at Rs1300 per mound. He said that wheat will be purchased from farmers transparently during wheat procurement campaign and clear cut instructions have been issued to Food and Agriculture Department in this regard. He said that 376 wheat procurement centres have been set up in the province for the facility of farmers. He said that transparency has been ensured in the process of wheat procurement.
