LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has inaugurated wheat harvesting campaign-2015 at village Warah Malik Shah Muhammad Awan adjacent to Lahore here on Saturday.
The chief minister launched wheat harvesting campaign by cutting the crop through a traditional sickle and also harvested wheat by driving harvester.
After the inauguration of wheat harvesting campaign, he while addressing a gathering of farmers said the PML-N government was fully aware of the problems of farmers and Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has taken various steps for their redressal.
He said that he himself realizes the problems of farmers and it was our endeavor that farmers should get due return of their hard work.
The chief minister said that the farmers also benefited from the reduction in prices of petroleum products at international market and the electricity bills were also reduced which have certainly resolved some problems of farmers.
He said that there was a bumper wheat crop in Pakistan this year and Punjab government has fixed wheat procurement target of 4 million tons and its price at Rs 1300 per maund.
He said that wheat will be purchased from farmers transparently during wheat procurement campaign and instructions have been issued to Food Department in this regard.
He said that wheat will be procured from small farmers first and they will get due return of their hard work. The chief minister said that he will personally monitor all procurement campaign.
He said that 376 wheat procurement centers have been set up in the province for the facility of farmers, adding that transparency has been ensured in the process of wheat procurement.
Provincial Ministers Bilal Yasin, Dr Farrukh Javed, Members National and Provincial Assembly, secretaries, Commissioner Lahore Division, DCO Lahore and a large number of farmers were also present on the occasion.
