PM says increasing farmers' income basic objective
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Tuesdaysaid policies in the agriculture sector were aimed at raising farmers' income level and their living standard and hoped the historic decision of reducing fertilizer prices would lead to increase in productivity and per acre yield. "The basic objective of the government's policies is to enhance farmers' income and improve their living standard," he said while addressing farmers' representatives from all the four provinces here at the Prime Minister House.
Prime Minister Aziz said he was fully convinced that poverty alleviation in Pakistan and raising living standards of people were directly linked to development in the agriculture sector. "Agriculture sector is the mainstay that effects two-third of the economy and provides income opportunities to about 65 per cent of people," he added.
The enhanced productivity and increase in per acre yield, he added, would help increase income of farmers and subsequent improvement in their living standard.
Farmers during the meeting hailed government's decision to reduce the price of DAP/phosphate fertilizer by Rs 250 per 50 kg bag and increase the wheat support price from Rs.415 to Rs.425 per 40 kg bag for the next crop.
Prime Minister Aziz said that the decision to reduce DAP/phosphate fertilizer's prices was taken after ensuring adequate stock to provide maximum benefits to farmers. He was confident that the decision would yield immediate gain to farmers in the upcoming wheat crops.
The government has given Rs.12.5 billion subsidy in fertilizers, he said and added that prices of Urea in Pakistan was the lowest in the world. The Prime Minister urged the farmers to open up their minds and adopt latest farming technologies to catch up with the rest of the world in the agriculture sector.
He noted with satisfaction that government's policies were producing positive results in increasing farmers' income level and referred to the increasing sale of motor-cycles and mobile phones in the rural areas.
Alluding to some important initiatives, he said the government was following a comprehensive strategy to increase water supply that was the key to improving productivity. He listed building of water storages, improving irrigation system and lining of watercourses as some important steps in this regard.
The government has also recently approved Rs.15 billion Drip-Irrigation project to ensure adequate water supply to farmers.
On the rehabilitation of water resources, the Prime Minister referred to the breach in the Sukkur Barrage and said the government took immediate action to repair the damage. He highly praised the army engineers for completing the project in a record time with low budget.
Prime Minister Aziz stressed the need of having quality seeds and benefiting from the world research in the agriculture sector. He also mentioned about other initiatives such as in the areas of livestock and dairy that would benefit people associated with the agriculture sector.
Assuring full support to the farming community, the Prime Minister said that the government was working pro-actively and taking preemptive steps to provide maximum benefits to them. "It has always been the endeavour of the government to provide maximum facilities and incentives to farmers," he added.
However, Prime Minister Aziz identified distribution system and agri-business as the areas that needed improvement. In the supply area, he said, world renowned wholesalers chains Metro and Macro were soon opening their outlets in Pakistan that would benefit farmers through better quality and improved supply system.
Similarly, he said there was a need in improving agri- business to add value to the products and have better return. Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Sikandar Hayat Bosan and Minister of State for Food, Agriculture and Livestock also attended the meeting.