Govt to expand crop maximization project to 1000 villages
By Tariq Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD—The government has decided to expand Crop Maximization Project to 1000 villages of the country in a bid to enhance productivity of agriculture sector on sustainable basis.
The main objectives of the project are to increase food production through enhancing crop productivity, ensure food security and alleviate the poverty through improving income of small farmers and build a sustainable mechanism to ensure continuity for the productivity enhancement food security program even after termination of the project.
According to official sources the target of the project is to increase productivity by 30% to 40% over benchmark productivity level, form Village Organization based on Water User’s Associations, On-Farm Water Management through improving watercourses and redesign farms with PLL application, increase farm income by introduction of income generation interventions and establish a revolving fund in each village for sustaining the productivity enhancement program.
Provision of micro-credit to small farmers and training of farmers and staff for using new technologies in agriculture also included in the targets.
The project will cost an estimated amount of Rs.5.0 billion for successful implementation.
The project was initiated for the first time in the year 2001 and it covered 108 villages in different parts of the country.
The Sargodha Model can be replicated in its true sense for the larger success of the project and productivity enhancement in the country.