KARACHI: The Sindh government on Wednesday announced a Rs3 billion subsidy for small farmers in the province during the financial year 2021-22.

Speaking at a press conference at the Sindh Assembly building, Agriculture Mini­ster Mohammad Ismail Rahu said that the subsidy would be provided to peasants on fertiliser through issuing them a ‘Peoples Hari Card’.

He said the provincial government would also establish 16 cold storage facilities during that period with the support of growers, adding that the government would bear 80 per cent cost while remaining 20pc expenses would be met by the growers.

Mr Rahu said the provincial government would also install water treatment plants in Thar to make the saline water extracted from coal mines useful for agriculture purposes.

The provincial govt will set up 16 cold storage facilities during new financial year

He vowed to support the farmers in the province.

Centre slammed for neglecting agri sector

He criticised the federal government saying it claimed to provide priority to agriculture but allocated very little money in the budget for the sector.

“Agriculture contributed 19 per cent in the GDP while the federal government allocated only Rs12 billion, which is only one per cent of the PSDP [public sector development programme],” he said, adding that the urea prices were increased to the highest level during the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led federal government.

Discussing the increase in input rates, he said that tractor prices were increased by 80pc and wheat prices increased by 110pc, while only one per cent of Sindh’s growers were included in the agriculture credit of the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL).

He said that the federal government had not provided any support to the people of Sindh during the locust attack, droughts and floods.

“As many as 108 provincial teams worked against the locust attack while the federal government provided only eight teams,” he said.

The agriculture minister said that federal government, in fact, worked against the farmers of the province. “During the bumper tomato crop in Sindh, the federal government allowed import of tomato,” he lamented.

He said that the federal government claimed that cotton production reached seven million bales in the country.

“However, the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association and APTMA [All Pakistan Textile Mills Association] said the production reached 5.6 million bales only,” he said, adding that cotton production in Punjab was also below the target.

The minister said that federal government had put Sindh in crisis by not releasing its due share of water.

“Due to unavailability of water, cotton crop was affected in the province and only 80pc of the sowing target was achieved,” he said and added that the country would have to import cotton worth $4 billion.

Mr Rahu said Sindh grew rice over an area of two million acres but due to water scarcity only 8pc of the area was cultivated in the province.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2021